MQ-25 Stingray
Boeing · United States · also known as Stingray, T1 · Updated
MQ-25 Stingray is a carrier-based, uncrewed aerial refuelling aircraft built by Boeing for the United States Navy, first flown on 19 September 2019. It is the US Navy's first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft and is designed primarily to extend the range of manned carrier air wings by refuelling other aircraft in flight.
Overview
The programme traces back to the Navy's Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) effort, begun in 2006, which debated whether a carrier drone should emphasise strike or surveillance. In February 2016 the Pentagon redirected the requirement toward a Super Hornet-sized carrier-based aerial refuelling tanker, formalised as the Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System (CBARS) programme and eventually designated MQ-25. Boeing won the competition on 30 August 2018 with an $805 million contract for four aircraft; a follow-on order in April 2020 brought the test fleet to seven.
Design and capabilities
The MQ-25 is about 15.5 m long with a wingspan of 22.9 m (foldable to about 9.5 m for carrier stowage), powered by a single Rolls-Royce AE 3007N turbofan producing more than 10,000 lb of thrust. Its primary mission is buddy refuelling: the Navy's requirement is to deliver at least 16,000 lb of fuel to strike aircraft at a range of 500 nautical miles (about 926 km) from the carrier, extending the reach of F/A-18 Super Hornets, F-35Cs and E-2D Hawkeyes without using their own strike aircraft for tanking duty. A secondary intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance payload capability is also planned.
Operational history
The first MQ-25 test aircraft flew in September 2019, and refuelling trials began in June 2021, when it transferred fuel to an F/A-18F Super Hornet for the first time; it has since refuelled F-35C and E-2D aircraft as well. The Navy stood up Unmanned Carrier Launched Multi-Role Squadron 10 (VUQ-10) at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in October 2022 as the type's fleet replacement squadron. Following further developmental flight testing in 2026, the Navy approved low-rate initial production in May 2026, with additional operational squadrons planned at Point Mugu, California, and elsewhere as the programme could grow to around 72 aircraft.
Frequently asked questions
What is the range of the MQ-25 Stingray?
The Navy's requirement is to deliver at least 16,000 lb of fuel to other aircraft at a range of 500 nautical miles (about 926 km) from the carrier.
What is the MQ-25 used for?
Primarily aerial refuelling of carrier-based aircraft, extending the range of manned fighters without using strike aircraft for tanking; it also has a planned surveillance role.
When did the MQ-25 first fly?
19 September 2019, at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Illinois.
Who operates the MQ-25?
The United States Navy, which established its first MQ-25 squadron, VUQ-10, at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in 2022.
Who makes the MQ-25 Stingray?
Boeing, which won the US Navy's competition for the type in 2018.
