Boeing and Rheinmetall develop German CCA integration capability

Boeing and Rheinmetall are working together to establish a German capability for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), focusing on the integration of uncrewed combat aircraft into air-to-air and air-to-ground operations. The approach is intended for the German Air Force and includes the integration of nationally developed sensors, weapons and mission software.

CCA systems are designed to operate alongside crewed aircraft, requiring integration of flight systems, mission management, communications, sensors and weapons. Developing these capabilities independently would require aircraft development, flight testing and mission-system integration to progress in parallel.

MQ-28 provides development platform
Boeing is providing the MQ-28 Ghost Bat as the aircraft platform, while Rheinmetall is establishing an independent system-integration capability in Germany. Boeing states that the platform has already undergone flight testing and multinational exercises, providing an existing environment for developing German CCA procedures and technologies.

The cooperation allows German industry to concentrate on mission integration and sovereign technologies while using an established aircraft architecture. Rheinmetall's role includes system integration in Germany, with software development, mission integration and related intellectual property intended to remain within the German industrial ecosystem.

Integration of German technologies
The technical approach is based on the MQ-28's modular architecture and continued development using flight-test data and a digital twin. According to Boeing, the architecture is designed to accommodate changes in mission requirements, including the addition of air-to-ground capabilities, without treating each modification as a conventional aircraft retrofit.

This provides a development and test environment for integrating German sensors, weapons and mission software and for evaluating their interaction with the aircraft platform.

Building a wider industrial ecosystem
The cooperation forms part of a broader industrial effort involving Boeing, Rheinmetall, Rohde & Schwarz, Diehl Defence and HENSOLDT. The companies are intended to contribute complementary capabilities covering system integration, communications, sensors, weapons and mission technologies.

For Rheinmetall, establishing independent integration capability also provides a basis for developing and testing national technologies on the MQ-28. The experience generated through these activities can subsequently support the development and integration of future CCA platforms.

Boeing and Rheinmetall state that achieving a German CCA capability by 2029 would require early development of tactics, training, force structure and sovereign technology integration.

Edited by Sucithra Mani, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.

www.rheinmetall.com