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Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, July 7, 2026 — Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat took part in Exercise Valiant Shield 2026 alongside F-35A, F-35B, F-15EX, HC-130, E-3, E-2D, EA-18G, RC-135 and other joint and coalition aircraft, becoming the first and only collaborative combat aircraft to participate in a multinational, joint operational exercise.
The Australian-developed aircraft integrated with forces from the U.S. Pacific Command in June to support the U.S. Air Force’s Experimental Operations Unit and its collaborative combat aircraft integration objectives. Operating with crewed platforms around the Marianas Island Range Complex in the Western Pacific, the team refined tactics, techniques and procedures to validate interoperability and interchangeability and to demonstrate the ability to deploy and integrate the system into a joint force.
“Having MQ-28 participate in such a significant military training exercise is a first, and this is just the start of demonstrating how advanced human-machine teaming extends the reach and awareness of crewed platforms and enhances joint force operations,” said Steve Parker, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security.
Developed as part of a broader family of systems, the MQ-28 uses open mission systems and government reference architectures intended to allow defense forces to rapidly integrate sovereign payloads for specific missions. It is designed to team with 4th, 5th and 6th-generation aircraft to augment the capabilities of the wider fleet.
“MQ-28 Ghost Bat is the most proven, mature CCA in allied nations and this latest demonstration highlights our readiness to bring this Australian-developed capability to global air forces,” said Amy List, vice president and managing director, Boeing Defence Australia.
Valiant Shield is a biennial training event focused on integrating the joint force and building real-world proficiency in detecting, locating, tracking and engaging units at sea, in the air, on land and in cyberspace across a range of mission areas.
