US EditionUS Navy’s Unmanned MQ-25A Stingray Notches First Successful Test Flight
The unmanned refueler completed autonomous taxi, takeoff, flight and landing, while the Navy says initial operational capability is still slipping.
- On Saturday, April 25, the U.S. Navy and Boeing successfully completed the first autonomous test flight of the MQ-25A Stingray at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois, validating basic flight controls over two hours.
- Designed primarily as an aerial refueling tanker, the MQ-25A aims to extend the combat range of carrier-based F/A-18 Super Hornets by assuming refueling missions from crewed fighters.
- Unmanned Carrier Aviation program manager Daniel Fucito said the MQ-25A will now undergo rigorous testing to expand its "performance envelope" under an $805 million contract.
- The MQ-25A will conduct a ferry flight to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, later this year to prepare for carrier qualifications after completing additional tests at the Boeing facility.
- Budget documents released last week indicate the program faces a nearly two-year delay, with initial operational capability now expected by the second quarter of FY-29.
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The Navy just tested its new $209 million Stingray refueling drone
The Navy's new refueling drone completed its first test flight over the weekend. The MQ-25A Stingray is the Navy's first carrier-based unmanned aircraft. Right now, there are no unmanned refueling aircraft in service, but the Navy said the Stingray is expected to enter service in 2027.Built by Boeing, the Stingray costs about $209 million per unit. The Navy invested about $16 billion in the system. After years of delays in the Stingray's develop…
US Navy’s unmanned MQ-25A Stingray notches first successful test flight
The U.S. Navy’s premier operational unmanned carrier-based aircraft completed its first test flight on Saturday, the sea service announced. The MQ-25A Stingray launched from Boeing’s facility at MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois, and flew for about two hours, according to a Navy release.Navy and Boeing Air Vehicle Pilots controlled the MQ-25A Stingray during its test flight from the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System MD-5 G…
Navy conducts first test flight of MQ-25 tanker drone
The Navy has successfully completed the highly-anticipated maiden flight of Boeing’s MQ-25 Stingray, a critical milestone for the service’s effort to field its first aircraft carrier-based unmanned aerial vehicle. The test flight occurred Saturday at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Illinois, where the MQ-25 took off and flew for about two hours while executing various maneuvers and tests, according to a Navy news release. The flight validated th…
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