HENSOLDT Joins Boeing’s German MQ-28 Ghost Bat Team for the Luftwaffe CCA Bid
German defense electronics company HENSOLDT has joined the industry team Boeing is assembling around the MQ-28 Ghost Bat for the German Air Force. According to Defence Industry Europe’s July 22 report, the memorandum of understanding was signed at the Farnborough International Airshow, adding a fourth major German defense company to a team that already includes Rheinmetall, Diehl Defence and Rohde & Schwarz.
What HENSOLDT brings
HENSOLDT will contribute platform-independent sensor technology, mission-system integration, sustainment and lifecycle support, and in-service support capabilities. “We bring mission system integration and decades of in-service support expertise,” said Dietmar Thelen, head of HENSOLDT’s Multi-Domain Solutions division. Boeing Germany President Dr. Michael Haidinger said HENSOLDT’s expertise “significantly strengthens our team.”
Germany’s CCA competition heats up
Germany is preparing to select an uncrewed combat aircraft to fly alongside its fighter fleet. Boeing is offering the MQ-28 — developed with Australia and already through an extensive flight-test campaign — in a configuration adapted to German requirements. Expanding the team with German companies addresses expectations on sovereign technology, industrial participation and data security. Airbus’s Wingman concept and other international solutions are also in contention.
Why it matters
The Luftwaffe’s decision will shape the loyal-wingman market in Europe’s largest defense-spending nation and show whether a US-Australian platform can anchor a production and sustainment chain in Europe. For countries with flying prototypes in this class — including Turkiye with ANKA-3 and Kizilelma — the German process is a concrete indicator of the scale and localization expectations of the European CCA market.
Sources
1. Defence Industry Europe – “HENSOLDT joins Boeing’s German MQ-28 Ghost Bat industry team” – July 22, 2026. Used for partnership scope and quotes. Link: defence-industry.eu
2. HENSOLDT official statement – July 22, 2026. Used for executive comments.
