Boeing MQ-25 Stingray

Boeing MQ-25 Stingray
United States Navy photo courtesy of Boeing · Public domain · source
Name	Boeing MQ-25 Stingray
Type	Aerial refueling unmanned aerial vehicle
Manufacturer	Boeing Defense, Space & Security
First flight	2019
Introduced	2024
Status	In service

Boeing MQ-25 Stingray The Boeing MQ-25 Stingray is an aerial refueling unmanned aerial vehicle developed to extend the range of carrier-based F/A-18 and future F-35 fighter aircraft on carriers of the US Navy. The program involves collaboration among major defense contractors and government agencies including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, General Atomics, and the DARPA-influenced community. The Stingray concept emerged from requirements shaped by operations such as Operation Enduring Freedom, doctrinal debates following the Gulf War, and strategic studies by the Chief of Naval Operations staff.

Development

The MQ-25 program originated from the UCLASS discussions and subsequent Navy initiatives driven by lessons from Iraq War and Afghanistan. Competitors including General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman submitted proposals to the United States Navy during the late 2010s, competing with Boeing’s prototype heritage and carrier integration experience from programs influenced by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler. The Navy awarded a development contract to Boeing in 2018 in a decision informed by analyses from the Congress of the United States and budget guidance from the Department of Defense. Boeing’s flight test program began with a first flight in 2019 and advanced through trials aboard USS George H.W. Bush and other Nimitz-class platforms under oversight from Naval Air Systems Command and coordination with Patuxent River test squadrons.

Design

The MQ-25 features a tanker-oriented airframe derived from prior Boeing unmanned concepts and leverages technologies proven in programs associated with Boeing Phantom Works and systems vendors such as GE Aviation, Raytheon Technologies, and Collins Aerospace. Its design emphasizes a low-observable fuselage, a wing optimized for carrier launch and recovery on catapult systems, and a hose-and-drogue refueling store compatible with Super Hornet, Growler, and F-35C receiver aircraft. Avionics integrate mission planning suites influenced by Joint Strike Fighter logistics concepts, datalinks interoperable with E-2 Hawkeye command systems, and autonomous deck handling features informed by Pax River trials. The propulsion system uses a turbofan with heritage from industrial partnerships tied to CFM International and GE family engines, while structural elements use composites following practices from Boeing 787 manufacturing and suppliers like Spirit AeroSystems.

Operational history

Operational evaluation of the MQ-25 occurred during sea trials with Carrier Air Wing elements aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Gerald R. Ford-class integration exercises. The platform completed initial aerial refueling sorties extending the range of Super Hornet strike packages and supported concepts of operations examined in war games run by U.S. Pacific Fleet and U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Deployments have been coordinated with training at Naval Air Station Oceana, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, and carrier qualification events overseen by COMNAVAIRLANT and COMNAVAIRPAC. The MQ-25’s presence affected planning documents including National Defense Strategy-informed fleet basing and influenced allied discussions at forums such as NATO interoperability working groups and bilateral dialogues with partners like Royal Australian Air Force and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

Variants

Planned and proposed variants include a primary aerial refueling tanker baseline used by the United States Navy and proposed adaptations for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance functions proposed by contractors such as Raytheon and Northrop Grumman. Other studied variants featured electronic warfare suites influenced by lessons from the EA-6B Prowler and EA-18G Growler and payload adaptations examined in collaboration with DARPA for long-endurance missions. Proposals from industry suggested carrier-launched strike adaptations echoing discussions that involved Lockheed Martin and General Atomics in parallel unmanned development efforts.

Operators

- United States Navy — operator of record responsible for procurement, training, and deployment across Carrier Air Wing units and test squadrons at Naval Air Station Patuxent River and Naval Air Station Oceana.

Specifications

- Role: Carrier-based aerial refueling unmanned aerial vehicle - Crew: Remote crew at Naval Air Station or carrier organic mission control - Length: Approximately comparable to large tactical UAVs developed by General Atomics and Northrop Grumman - Wingspan: Designed for carrier deck handling similar to F/A-18 wingspan constraints and E-2 Hawkeye hangar compatibility - Powerplant: Single turbofan with industrial partners such as GE Aviation or CFM International - Fuel offload: Capable of significantly extending range of F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-35C Lightning II strike aircraft during carrier operations - Launch/Recovery: Catapult-assisted takeoff and arrested recovery on Nimitz-class and Ford-class carriers

Category:Unmanned aerial vehicles of the United States