Collaborative combat aircraft flown in Exercise Valient Shield 2026 by Boeing
NewsJuly 08, 2026
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii. Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) participated in Exercise Valiant Shield 2026 alongside U.S. and coalition aircraft in the Indo-Pacific region, the company announced in a statement.
The Australian-developed MQ-28 supported the U.S. Air Force’s Experimental Operations Unit during the June exercise, which included operations with U.S. Pacific Command forces, the statement reads.
The MQ-28 flew alongside aircraft including the F-35A, F-35B, F-15EX, HC-130, E-3, E-2D, EA-18G, and RC-135 during the multinational joint-force exercise, Boeing says. The aircraft participated in operations around the Marianas Island Range Complex in the Western Pacific region as crews worked on tactics, techniques, and procedures for CCA integration, according to the statement.
The exercise provided data on deployment, sustainment, and agile combat employment for the MQ-28, the company says. Boeing says the aircraft is designed to team with fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-generation aircraft.
The MQ-28 was developed using open mission systems and government reference architectures to support payload integration for mission requirements, the statement adds.
