The US Navy's MQ-25 Stingray program is taking new steps
According to the US Navy, the “MQ-25 will be the world’s first operational, carrier-based unmanned aircraft and is integral to the future carrier air wing (CVW),”
and that the MQ-25 “will provide an aerial refueling capability that extends the range
operational capability, and lethality of the CVW (carrier air wing) and carrier strike group (CSG).”
During the Navy’s recent deck drills with the MQ-25
the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) “completed a series of test points that evaluated the functionality and capabilities of the deck handling system"
"during both day and nighttime operations.”
The Navy began deck trials earlier this month
Before that, the experimental prototype MQ-25 T1 had successfully tested for the first time in-air refueling
The test flight took place on June 4, and successfully refueled the US Navy's F/A-18F Super Hornet
The Boeing MQ-25 Stingray is the result of the Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System program
which grew out of the earlier Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike program
The first flight was made on September 19, 2019
The MQ-Stingray is shaping up to be an important new project for the Navy
Refueling at sea and in the air is crucially vital and allows Navy planes to remain in the air and on station for extended periods of time
Boeing's MQ-25 design is powered by one Rolls-Royce AE 3007N turbofan engine delivering 10,000 lbf (44 kN) of thrust
this is a variant of the engine used to power the Navy's MQ-4C Triton
The aircraft is less stealthy than flying wing UAVs.
It does feature a stealthy fuselage shaping, flush inlet to shield engine blades from radar and V-tail
One of the United States’ premiere aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter, has sustained criticism
with detractors pointing to the airplane’s combat radius as a serious weakness inherent to the plane
That is a gap the Stingray could fill
Earlier this year, an MQ-25 topped off an F-35C Lightning II in the air over Illinois, a program first
The Navy explained that they would like the Stingray to eventually be able to refuel all Navy aircraft currently capable of receiving fuel in the air
providing greater operational flexibility
Every test brings the Stingray closer to becoming fully mission capable
And, once operational, the Stingray will become the world’s first unmanned aerial refueling aircraft - A significant advantage for Naval aviation