MQ-28 Makes History: First Autonomous Aircraft Completes Live Air-to-Air Missile Strike

Boeing and Australia’s Royal Australian Air Force have achieved a significant milestone in autonomous combat systems. For the first time, an unmanned aircraft successfully executed a live air-to-air weapon engagement using a Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. The achievement underscores the operational maturity of the MQ-28 Collaborative Combat Aircraft as a full-fledged combat platform.

Breaking Ground in Autonomous Warfare

The demonstration brought together multiple advanced military systems in a coordinated operation. The MQ-28 worked seamlessly alongside the RAAF’s E-7A Wedgetail airborne early-warning platform and an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet. Each aircraft operated from different launch locations before linking into a unified command network, showcasing the potential for distributed, coordinated air operations.

The engagement sequence revealed how modern autonomous platforms integrate with existing air defense infrastructure. The E-7A operator managed the MQ-28’s flight path and tactical positioning, while the F/A-18F’s sensor suite identified and tracked the target drone. After receiving targeting data through the integrated network, the MQ-28 repositioned itself and obtained final authorization from the E-7A before releasing the AIM-120 AMRAAM to neutralize the fighter-class target.

A New Era for Collaborative Combat

“This represents the first instance of an autonomous aircraft successfully completing an air-to-air weapon engagement with an AIM-120 missile, confirming the MQ-28’s status as a combat-ready Collaborative Combat Aircraft,” noted Amy List, managing director of Boeing Defence Australia.

The demonstration was executed through collaboration between Boeing, the Royal Australian Air Force, the U.S. Air Force, and multiple industry partners. This cooperative effort highlights how next-generation defense systems require seamless integration across platforms, operators, and international partners to achieve tactical objectives in contested environments.