The Australian government is set to acquire just 10 Loyal Wingman autonomous platforms for the Royal Australian Air Force, as opposed to the previously suggested 13.
A Defence spokesperson has clarified that the first three Loyal Wingman aircraft developed are prototypes that are not owned by the Australian government and will not be operated by the RAAF.
It comes just days after Prime Minister Scott Morrison pledged to invest an additional $454 million to accelerate Boeing Australia’s Loyal Wingman project, and fund the development of “a further seven aircraft”.
In March last year, then-acting Minister for Defence Marise Payne announced that Australia would spend $115 million to “acquire three additional aircraft” under the Loyal Wingman program, which seemingly suggested that the three prototypes initially earmarked for development under the program were already enlisted in the RAAF’s future fleet.
However, Defence said this is not the case, suggesting the three additional vehicles ordered in March 2021 were in fact the first official orders placed by the government for the now-dubbed MQ-28A Ghost Bat.
As such, after the Prime Minister’s announcement, the RAAF will take delivery of 10 Ghost Bats in total.
“Three prototype aircraft produced earlier in the program for concept demonstration purposes are not owned by the Commonwealth of Australia,”
the Defence spokesperson said.
Source: Australian Aviation