Page 83 - Australian Defence Magazine Feb-Mar 2023

FEBRUARY-MARCH 2023 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
AIRPOWER MQ-28A GHOST BAT 83
While Fisherman’s Bend will continue to support the de- sign, composite component manufacture and development of the program, the company’s Defence and Aerospace Precinct at Wellcamp Airport near Toowoomba – set to be Boeing’s first final assembly facility outside North America – achieved development approval in 2022 and is expected to be delivering Ghost Bats by 2025.
According to Boeing’s Glen Ferguson, director of the Aus- tralia and International Air Power Teaming System Program, digital engineering has become a crucial feature of the com- pany’s programs across both defence and commercial manu- facturing, with Ghost Bat heading several developments.
The company has also been using digital techniques to vali- date air vehicle teaming behaviours and examining the inter- action of the MQ-28A with other crewed and uncrewed assets.
“Digital engineering tools are now at the maturity point where the value of a complete-digitally engineered environ- ment can be realised,” Ferguson said.
“We have been applying digital tools to the MQ-28A Ghost Bat program from the beginning as part of the solid foundations for the program, so we can rapidly develop the system to the point we are at now, and also to continue de- velopment at this pace into the future.
“Our capabilities in digital engineering are helping drive quality and efficiency throughout the program, and as we
progress missionisation and operational capabilities, we will further develop the true benefit of autonomy and the integration of artificial intelligence to support our custom- ers to be mission-ready and meet the challenges of the fu- ture battlespace.”
So far as payload was concerned, configurations were selected by the RAAF to meet specific requirements, he commented.
“NO OTHER NATION HAS
“The process we follow here with De- DEVELOPED A TEAMING
As well as the aircraft itself, Boeing says it continues to progress other essential elements in support of Australia’s sovereign defence capability growth, including more than 35 Australian companies that are supporting the delivery of the cutting-edge Ghost Bat system.
“We know that a strong, sovereign capability and supply chain is essential for Australia, and we continue to bring
fence is we are developing a roadmap
together and there are some design ref-
erence missions, which is what we’ve fo-
cused our design around, so we put the
sensors into the packages that we need to TO PRODUCING ONE” meet those missions,” Ferguson explained.
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