Rohde & Schwarz and Diehl Defence join Boeing's German MQ-28 Ghost Bat industry team

Boeing's German industry team for the MQ-28 Ghost Bat, one of the most prominent unmanned systems programmes, is growing: alongside Rheinmetall, Diehl Defence and Rohde & Schwarz will also be members in future. Boeing presented the two new industrial partners from Germany at ILA Berlin.

For the programme, which is led by Boeing Defence Australia, this means two additional partners that rank among the leading aerospace companies. The cooperation makes it possible to integrate German sensors as well as communication and weapon systems.

Unmanned systems: tasks in Team MQ-28 Ghost Bat Germany

The aim is to create a weapon system that meets national requirements for German sovereignty. Boeing and the German industry team divide the work as follows:

• Diehl Defence is responsible for weapons integration and provides technical support. Depending on customer requirements, German weapons are to be integrated into the MQ-28 Ghost Bat; the company also supplies technical data, takes on product support and training and contributes software elements that support the air combat command chain.
• Rohde & Schwarz helps to connect mission and communication systems with the other command and weapon systems of the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces), ensures that national requirements are met and supports operation, maintenance and logistics.

“We are bringing together the best of Australian and German innovation to deliver the MQ-28 Ghost Bat to the Luftwaffe by 2029. Adding Diehl Defence and Rohde & Schwarz to our team is a significant step towards this. We will work closely together on development, testing, delivery and maintenance.”— Amy List, Vice President & Managing Director, Boeing Defence Australia

“We are grateful to take part in this programme as a strategic partner of Boeing. As Germany's leading supplier to the armed forces, we are taking responsibility within Team MQ-28 Ghost Bat Germany for the seamless integration of this autonomous combat drone into the systems of the Bundeswehr. Through this strong alliance, we are strengthening next-generation air defence.”— Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall

“At Diehl Defence, we are delighted to be part of Team MQ-28 Ghost Bat Germany under the leadership of Boeing Australia and to jointly provide the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) MQ-28 for Germany. We are ready to contribute our expertise, particularly in the field of air-to-ground weapons and guided missiles. In doing so, we are supporting the Bundeswehr in meeting today's and tomorrow's challenges.”— Helmut Rauch, CEO of Diehl Defence

“With the groundbreaking Networked Multipoint Array Communications System (NEMACS), we are providing broadband access to the combat cloud for this purpose. We look forward to examining with Boeing, within the framework of this letter of intent, how our know-how in communication, data exchange and mission systems can contribute to the requirements of future Collaborative Combat Aircraft – including potential MQ-28 projects in Germany and Europe.”— Andreas Domann, Vice President of the Multidomain Directional Communications Systems business unit at Rohde & Schwarz