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Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Australia's first homegrown combat aircraft in 50 years takes off
Australia's first combat aircraft designed and built in more than 50 years has completed its first flight outside a testing facility. The MQ-28A Ghost Bat drone successfully completed its first flight - codenamed Exercise Carlsbad at RAAF Base Tindal, near Katherine in the Northern Territory. The exercise was part of a broader series of trials to demonstrate the Ghost Bat's capabilities in a simulated combat scenario. The MQ-28A is an AI-enabled, autonomous, uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft, designed to fly alongside traditional fighter jets and take on mission roles typically performed by pilots. Developed by Boeing Australia in partnership with the Royal Australian Air Force, the Ghost Bat marks a major step forward in Australian aerospace innovation. Over 80 Australian companies contributed to the program. 'This is a huge achievement of the collaborative work between the Royal Australian Air Force and Boeing Defence Australia,' Wing Commander Phillip Parsons said. 'Our success has also been due to ongoing work with the Collaborative Autonomous Systems Project Office, Air Force Headquarters, Air Warfare Centre, and the local base squadrons at RAAF Base Tindal.' Live fire testing of air-to-air weapons is planned for late 2025. 'What we're going to do this year is, we're going to accelerate into a weapon shot from the drone,' Boeing Defense, Space & Security interim President and CEO Steve Parker said. 'We'll definitely look at air-ground in the future, but our focus priority is air-to-air. And we'll talk about what the weapon is in the future, at a future point in time.' Exercise Carlsbad tested the MQ-28A Ghost Bat's ability to be deployed, redeployed, and operated effectively in unfamiliar conditions. 'The main intent of Exercise Carlsbad was to understand all the fundamental inputs to capability in relation to the MQ-28A,' Wing Commander Parsons said. Before the flight, a series of ground-based checks were conducted to ensure all systems were functioning properly. Wing Commander Parsons said the aircraft would provide the combat mass needed to defend Australia and its national interests. 'Capabilities such as the MQ-28A are important as they will save Australian lives and provide us with the combat mass to defend Australia and its national interests,' Wing Commander Parsons said. Canberra is optimistic that the Ghost Bat program will open up significant export opportunities for the Australian defence industry.
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Astonishing images emerge from of Australia's MQ-28A Ghost Bat drone
Australia's first combat aircraft designed and built in more than 50 years has completed its first flight outside a testing facility. The MQ-28A Ghost Bat drone successfully completed its first flight - codenamed Exercise Carlsbad at RAAF Base Tindal, near Katherine in the Northern Territory. The exercise was part of a broader series of trials to demonstrate the Ghost Bat's capabilities in a simulated combat scenario. The MQ-28A is an AI-enabled, autonomous, uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft, designed to fly alongside traditional fighter jets and take on mission roles typically performed by pilots. Developed by Boeing Australia in partnership with the Royal Australian Air Force, the Ghost Bat marks a major step forward in Australian aerospace innovation. Over 80 Australian companies contributed to the program. 'This is a huge achievement of the collaborative work between the Royal Australian Air Force and Boeing Defence Australia,' Wing Commander Phillip Parsons said. 'Our success has also been due to ongoing work with the Collaborative Autonomous Systems Project Office, Air Force Headquarters, Air Warfare Centre, and the local base squadrons at RAAF Base Tindal.' Live fire testing of air-to-air weapons is planned for late 2025. 'What we're going to do this year is, we're going to accelerate into a weapon shot from the drone,' Boeing Defense, Space & Security interim President and CEO Steve Parker said. 'We'll definitely look at air-ground in the future, but our focus priority is air-to-air. And we'll talk about what the weapon is in the future, at a future point in time.' Exercise Carlsbad tested the MQ-28A Ghost Bat's ability to be deployed, redeployed, and operated effectively in unfamiliar conditions. 'The main intent of Exercise Carlsbad was to understand all the fundamental inputs to capability in relation to the MQ-28A,' Wing Commander Parsons said. Before the flight, a series of ground-based checks were conducted to ensure all systems were functioning properly. Wing Commander Parsons said the aircraft would provide the combat mass needed to defend Australia and its national interests. 'Capabilities such as the MQ-28A are important as they will save Australian lives and provide us with the combat mass to defend Australia and its national interests,' Wing Commander Parsons said. Canberra is optimistic that the Ghost Bat program will open up significant export opportunities for the Australian defence industry. At least one Ghost Bat has already been seen in the United States.
Axios
02-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
Trump administration shelves Navy's F/A-XX, citing industry strain
The Trump administration is icing the U.S. Navy's F/A-XX futuristic fighter in favor of the Air Force counterpart, the F-47, amid concerns U.S. defense contractors can't handle both. Why it matters: The highly secretive project has for months been in limbo. An F/A-XX contract announcement was supposed to quickly follow F-47 news, according to Reuters, but never materialized. Driving the news: Officials at the Pentagon told reporters the fiscal 2026 budget blueprint includes $74 million to finish design of the Navy warplane. They also said there is debate at the highest levels about its future. "We did make a strategic decision to go all-in on F-47, with a $3.4 billion request for that program, due to our belief that the industrial base can only handle going fast on one program at this time and the presidential priority [is] to go all-in on that F-47 and get that program right," one official said. Catch up quick: Boeing and Northrop Grumman are in the running for F/A-XX. The former bested Lockheed Martin in March for the multibillion-dollar F-47 contract, via the Next Generation Air Dominance effort. Friction point: Boeing executives pushed back on the narrative that it — and others — can't juggle. "From day one, capital investment was for both programs. We've done the same with our technology. We've done the same with our staffing," Steve Parker, the CEO of Boeing's defense business, told reporters at the Paris Air Show. "Absolutely, we can do it. And so can the industrial base. And so can the engine manufacturers. I don't really see that as being an issue." What we're watching: The Navy could end up with a tailored version of the F-47 instead.
Bloomberg
16-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Boeing Progressing at Fastest Pace in Years on Air Force One
Boeing Co. said it's made more progress in the past four to five months on the long-delayed new presidential aircraft than at any point in the last four years as it identifies ways to streamline the complex program. 'As we go forward, we have been able to see our way through some of these requirements that were just physically impossible to do,' Steve Parker, the interim head of Boeing's defense business, told journalists at the Paris Air Show on Monday. 'We're just making really, really good progress.'
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mindgruve and Levelwing Merge to Become One of the World's Fastest-Growing Independent Agencies
Founder-led Agency Execs Join Forces as a Modern Media, Commerce, and Data Technology Company SAN DIEGO, June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mindgruve, a modern media, commerce, and data technology company, today announced a merger with Levelwing, a nationally recognized performance marketing and data technology company. The merger strengthens Mindgruve's performance marketing offering, expands its U.S. footprint, and adds a robust portfolio of blue-chip clients across multiple industries. This announcement follows Mindgruve's recent mergers with Macarta and Icon Commerce. The company will consolidate all agencies under the Mindgruve brand. "The merger marks an important milestone in our company's history," said Chad Robley, CEO of Mindgruve. "Levelwing adds more depth to our team of world-class performance marketers, deepens our enterprise client roster to drive more buying power, and expands our tech capabilities within data science and predictive marketing analytics. Together, we're excited to deliver an even greater growth service offering for our global clients and partners." Founded in 2002, Levelwing has built an exceptional reputation for driving revenue growth for brands through fully integrated strategy, creative, media, and predictive marketing analytics solutions. The agency's client roster encompasses a diverse range of industries, including automotive, restaurant, financial services, healthcare, and consumer products. "We are incredibly proud of what we've built at Levelwing and are excited to join forces with Mindgruve," said Steve Parker, Jr., CEO and co-founder of Levelwing, who will become chief client experience officer of Mindgruve. "Both agencies share a commitment to transparency, measurable results, and delivering real business value. This partnership gives us a global platform and best-in-class talent to drive meaningful growth for our clients while staying true to the principles that have guided us for over two decades." Mindgruve's collective leadership team brings together executives from global brands and agencies. As Levelwing integrates into the Mindgruve platform, its leadership will continue to play a pivotal role in driving client success and strategic growth. "This is more than a merger—it's an acceleration of our collective vision," added Jeff Adelson-Yan, President and co-founder of Levelwing, who will become chief product officer of Mindgruve. "By combining Levelwing's deep performance marketing, data science, and creative expertise with Mindgruve's advanced analytics and commerce capabilities, we're transforming how brands harness data-driven insights to fuel innovation, optimize customer experiences, and achieve measurable business growth." With the addition of Levelwing, Mindgruve now boasts a team of over 400 employees across eight U.S., Latin American, and European offices, further solidifying its position as a global leader in media, commerce, and data technology. Madison Alley Global Ventures served as strategic M&A advisor to Levelwing on this transaction. For more information, visit the Mindgruve website. About MindgruveMindgruve is a modern media, commerce, and data technology company comprised of strategists, creatives, media and commerce experts, data scientists, and engineers driven by one common purpose — accelerate business growth for our brand partners through data-driven marketing. With over 400 experts worldwide, Mindgruve's teams deliver integrated media and commerce solutions for global brands. About LevelwingLevelwing is a fully integrated strategy, creative, media, and predictive marketing analytics company with offices in Charleston and Nashville. For over 20 years, Levelwing has delivered groundbreaking work for brands like Auntie Anne's, Bridgestone, CAVA, Cinnabon, Disney, Firestone, Ford Motor Co., Hulu, Jamba, Lenovo, Lincoln, PODS, Sony Pictures, Sunoco, Walmart, and Winnebago, as well as for the Super Bowl and the Olympic Games. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Mindgruve Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
