--- title: "MQ-28 Ghost Bat With Aerial Refueling Capability Hinted At By Boeing" description: "The ability to refuel in mid-air would give the MQ-28 an attractive boost in range and persistence." date: "2025-09-08" modified: "2025-09-08" authors: - name: "Joseph Trevithick" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/joseph-trevithick.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/air/mq-28-ghost-bats-with-aerial-refueling-capability-hinted-at-by-boeing" categories: - "Air" - "Drones" - "Loyal Wingman" - "MQ-28" - "News & Features" - "Unmanned" --- # MQ-28 Ghost Bat With Aerial Refueling Capability Hinted At By Boeing ![]() *Boeing capture* A recent computer-generated video from Boeing includes [MQ-28 Ghost Bat drones]() with apparent receptacles on top of their fuselages to allow for aerial refueling from boom-equipped tankers. Mid-air refueling capability would extend the MQ-28's reach and on-station time, but would also add complexity and cost to the design. Boeing released the video in question, seen below, last week. It is primarily intended to tout the ability of the company's [new F-15EX Eagle II fighter]() to act as an airborne drone controller, a role the two-seat jet is well-suited to, as [*TWZ* has been highlighting]() for [years now](). Boeing is now [reportedly actively pitching MQ-28 to Poland]() in combination with [a possible purchase of F-15EXs](). https://twitter.com/BoeingDefense/status/1963586038858756261 The Ghost Bat was first developed by Boeing's subsidiary in Australia [for the Royal Australian Air Force]() (RAAF), but other customers, [including the U.S. Navy](), could be on the horizon. The U.S. Air Force [has also made use]() of at least one MQ-28 in the past to support advanced uncrewed aircraft and autonomy development efforts. As seen in screen captures from the Boeing video at the top of this story and below, the MQ-28s are depicted with panel lines and markings on top of their fuselage that are consistent with receptacles for receiving fuel in mid-air via the boom method. The markings, in particular, are virtually identical to those seen on F-22 Raptors and F-35A Joint Strike Fighters. ![]() **Boeing capture** ![U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter instructor pilots from the 58th Fighter Squadron, 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla. navigate their aircraft toward an Air Force Reserve KC-135 Stratotanker from the 336th Air Refueling Squadron, March ARB, Calif., May 16, 2013 off the coast of Northwest Florida. The 33rd Fighter Wing is a joint graduate flying and maintenance training wing that trains Air Force, Marine, Navy and international partner operators and maintainers of the F-35 Lightning II. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. John R. Nimmo, Sr./RELEASED) DIGITAL]() *Aerial refueling assistance markings surrounding the fuel door on the F-35 are nearly identical to those shown in the Boeing video. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. John R. Nimmo, Sr./RELEASED) DIGITAL Master Sgt. John R. Nimmo* ![]() *The F-22 also uses these particular markings. Legacy aircraft often use hashmark-like symbology. (DoD Image)* The full scenario shown in the video involves the crews of the F-15EXs using the Ghost Bats as additional sensor nodes to help find and target a hostile air defense system. One of the Eagle IIs then launches an AGM-84H/K [Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response]() (SLAM-ER) cruise missile, another Boeing product, to destroy the target. In addition, the video presents the MQ-28s as each carrying a pair of AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) internally and being equipped with various sensors, including an [infrared search and track system]() (IRST). At least two of the RAAF's initial batch of MQ-28s have been seen equipped with an IRST sensor in the nose. In general, IRST sensors provide a valuable alternative and/or companion to radars, particularly when it comes to spotting and tracking stealthy aircraft and missiles. IRSTs are also immune to electronic warfare attacks and operate passively, meaning they don't send signals that can alert an opponent to the fact that they have been detected and are being tracked. Drones with IRST sensors offer valuable additional passive forward sensor nodes that can hunt for threats and pass data to other platforms. For the MQ-28 (and other CCA-like drones) this would primarily be their controlling platform, which will often be operating to the rear of their locations. ![]() *A quartet of MQ-28s, the two in the middle having IRST sensors on top of their noses. *Boeing** It is interesting to note that real MQ-28s have similar, if not identical panels on top of the fuselage, but do not appear to have ever been seen with any markings pointing to it being linked to an aerial refueling capability. Whether or not Boeing has ever previously mentioned even the possibility of an aerial refueling capability for the Ghost Bat is unclear. ![]() *A top-down look at a real MQ-28 showing a panel in the same general position on top of the fuselage. *Boeing** ![]() *Another top-down view of a pair of MQ-28s showing slightly different panel lines on top. *Boeing** In response to queries from *TWZ* for more information about what is seen in the recent video, a Boeing spokesperson told us that "all I can share is that the video is conceptual in nature." Aerial refueling capability would extend the MQ-28's overall range, which Boeing has said in the [past is at least 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers)]() on a single tank of gas. The ability to refuel in mid-air would also allow the drone to remain on station longer after arriving in a designated operating area. The uncrewed aircraft could break off to refuel and then return to station, or move to a different part of the battlespace, all without having to return to base first, as well. Since a drone does not have a pilot that needs to drink, eat, sleep, and go relieve itself, aerial refueling capability could allow for a significant degree of additional persistence depending on the assigned mission. Airborne control of the drones could also be passed between crewed platforms rotating in and out of an operating area. All of this would open up new operational possibilities, as well as expand the number of potential launch and/or recovery locations, for air-to-air refueling-capable MQ-28s. ![]() **Boeing** Australia, in particular, is present with challenges when it comes to projecting crewed or uncrewed airpower just by virtue of its location within the sprawling Indo-Pacific region. The ["tyranny of distance"]() is [a common refrain]() when [discussing military operations]() in the Pacific, in general. The RAAF would at least have a basic capacity to gas-up future MQ-28s with aerial refueling receptacles via its boom-equipped [Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports]() (MRTT), which are locally designated as KC-30As. Airbus has also notably been [working on improvements to the core MRTT design]() to enable the safe refueling of uncrewed aircraft via the boom method. ![]() *An RAAF KC-30A tanker. *RAAF** MQ-28s with aerial refueling receptacles could also be of interest to other air arms with boom-equipped tankers. U.S. Air Force officials have [talked about aerial refueling capability]() in the past in the context of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drone program. Air-to-air refueling is notably seen as one way to help balance range and performance requirements. All of this, in turn, has raised questions about how much more complex and costly it might be to add this capability to any CCA-type design. It has also prompted discussions about how fielding large fleets of aerial refueling-capable drones might impact [already strained tanker fleets](). The Air Force has separately been exploring novel options for increasing its overall aerial refueling capacity, including [boom-equipped buddy refueling stores]() small enough for tactical jets like the F-15 to carry. An uncrewed aircraft like the MQ-28 would sip relatively small [amounts of fuel compared to]() a medium or heavy crewed fighter, as well. It's also worth remembering here that providing organic defense [for increasingly vulnerable, but critical tankers]() and other support aircraft has long been [a mission envisioned for the MQ-28](), as well as various [other 'loyal wingman' type drones](). Uncrewed aircraft that can be refueled in flight could help increase the persistence of that defensive screen. In other words, tankers and surveillance aircraft can bring their own uncrewed combat air patrol with them and control them directly. If Boeing can alter the MQ-28 design, specifically, for refueling via boom, the Ghost Bat might also be adaptable to receiving fuel in mid-air via the probe-and-drogue method. This would increase the total number of potential tankers that could refuel MQ-28s. Boeing has previously shown a render of a derivative of the [MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone](), which it is [developing for the U.S. Navy](), with a refueling probe. The Navy has [expressed a "strong interest"]() in the Ghost Bat, or a variant or derivative thereof, potentially for future carrier-based use. Boeing has pitched [a carrier-capable version of the design]() at least to the United Kingdom in the past. ![]() *A rendering of a variation of the MQ-25 design receiving fuel from a KC-46A Pegasus tanker via the probe-and-drogue method. It is also depicted flying together with a pair of MQ-28s. *Boeing** It is important to remember here that extensive work has been done in the unclassified realm to develop the technologies necessary for the refueling of drones via crewed tankers using [the boom-and-receptacle]() and [probe-and-drogue methods, including various]() real-world [demonstrations](). Drones refueling other drones, as well as other crewed aircraft, using probe-and-drogue systems has also already been proven out by Boeing ([through the MQ-25 program]()) and [others](). The possibility has been raised in the past that the U.S. military has actually [fielded uncrewed aircraft capable]() of [receiving fuel in mid-air](), at least on a limited level in the classified realm, but this remains unconfirmed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orTsIRPT0Ts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vubzl6EL-7Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urndQLEcPdU Boeing has otherwise been betting big on the MQ-28, including with major investments [to expand its capacity to produce the drones]() in Australia. The RAAF has already received eight Ghost Bats in a Block 1 prototype configuration, and Boeing is on contract to deliver at least three more improved Block 2 types that are seen as a pathway to an operational capability. Australian officials [have openly discussed the possibility]() of acquiring [further MQ-28 variants]() down the line. Just last week, [Boeing announced]() a number of RAAF testing milestones it says were achieved before the end of June, including "autonomous behaviors and mission execution," "multi-ship operations to provide combat mass," and "data fusion and sharing data between multiple MQ-28 aircraft and transmission of that data to a crewed platform." Back in June, Boeing [had already disclosed]() a successful demonstration of the ability of RAAF personnel aboard an [E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft]() to direct MQ-28s to engage an aerial threat. Once again, this could help pave the way for large support aircraft bringing along their own defensive drone patrols. ![]() *A rendering of an RAAF E-7 Wedgetail flying together with a pair of MQ-28s. *Boeing** Boeing also said the MQ-28s built to date have now completed 150 hours of testing, with another 20,000+ hours of testing of the design in virtual environments. "The RAAF set the task of proving the first four steps in the Air Combat chain for the MQ-28, and we have accomplished that sooner than anticipated," Glen Ferguson, Boeing's MQ-28 global program director, [said in a statement today](). "Completing this work early allows us to accelerate the next phases of development – engage and assess – with an air-to-air weapon shot planned for later this year or in early 2026." Exactly when the RAAF might begin flying MQ-28s in any configuration operationally is unclear. Australia's [National Security Committee]() is expected to make a decision about whether or not to proceed with additional Ghost Bat purchases before the end of the year, according to a [report last week from *Aviation Week*](). Altogether, while the idea of an MQ-28 capable of being refueled in flight may just be a concept now, it could well prove to be an attractive addition to the still evolving Ghost Bat design. *Contact the author: joe@twz.com* ## Author Joseph is *TWZ’s* Deputy Editor, helping to oversee the site’s highly experienced and dedicated team, while also writing informative and impactful defense and national security content. He lives right in the thick of it in the Washington, D.C. area. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [Bluesky]()