Boeing’s MQ-28 autonomous combat aircraft has completed its first international flights in allied airspace, marking a new phase of testing outside Australia. According to Boeing, the flights were conducted at the Point Mugu Sea Range, part of U.S. Naval Base Ventura County in California.
During the testing, the MQ-28 performed three operational flights over the Pacific Ocean. The aim was to validate its autonomous systems, while also demonstrating the aircraft’s ability to be rapidly deployed and to sustain operations from an allied location.
For Boeing, the milestone is significant because it demonstrates the program’s maturity and the aircraft’s potential for export markets outside Australia. The MQ-28 was developed in Australia with support from the Royal Australian Air Force and is designed as an uncrewed platform capable of operating alongside crewed combat aircraft and taking on missions that would otherwise carry greater risk for pilots.
“The activity at Point Mugu is part of Boeing’s ongoing flight test program to mature the MQ-28 and demonstrate operations from allied locations,” said Glen Ferguson, MQ-28 global program director. He added that the tests are being used to further prove the maturity of the program and inform future exportability.
Boeing says the flights were conducted in line with the required airspace approvals, range safety requirements and regulatory procedures. Certified range assets, flight safety procedures and coordination with the relevant authorities were used to reduce risk as much as possible.
The MQ-28 is part of Boeing’s broader family of systems designed for modular and more cost-effective use in combat operations. The aircraft’s design allows for different missions and the integration of various payloads, enabling potential customers to tailor its capabilities to their operational needs.
The first flights in the United States therefore represent an important step in the international positioning of the MQ-28, especially at a time when interest in autonomous and uncrewed combat systems among allied countries continues to grow.
