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Australia acquires more MQ-28A Ghost Bat autonomous combat drones

The Royal Australian Air Force will acquire seven more Boeing MQ-28A Ghost Bat drones in addition to the six Ghost Bats already under contract, reports The Australian. The MQ-28A was officially named the ‘Ghost Bat’ in March 2022, with the name chosen because the ghost bat is ‘an Australian native mammal known for teaming together in a pack to detect and hunt’, which ‘reflects the unique characteristics of the aircraft’s sensors and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance abilities’, according to Boeing. The Ghost Bat has AI capabilities, and can operate autonomously or semi-autonomously. It can carry a variety of payloads and a number of sensors, including an infra-red search and track system.

Boeing has received significant funding from the Australian government to support the development of the MQ-28A Ghost Bat. Currently, Australia does not support the negotiation of new international law to regulate the development and use of autonomous weapons systems.

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