US Navy Tests First Unmanned Aerial Refueling Drone

The first production MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aerial refueling aircraft for the US Navy completed its maiden flight, boosting carrier-based refueling capabilities.

The MQ-25 completed its first test flight on Saturday, and is the first unmanned aerial refueling aircraft to operate on an American aircraft carrier, according to AviatioNest.

The aircraft took off from MidAmerica Airport in St. Louis, Illinois, where Boeing's production facilities are located, accompanied by a Boeing-owned TA-4G Skyhawk and a Navy UC-12M Heron as escort aircraft.

Initial trials had been scheduled for the end of 2025, but were delayed, with the first attempt taking place on April 22 and cancelled for unknown reasons.

The production version's trial came approximately 7 years after the first flight of the T1 test model in September 2019.

Senior Pentagon officials had described the initial MQ-25 test as a pivotal milestone for the future of unmanned aviation on aircraft carriers.

The first flight came after a long series of ground tests including low- and high-speed taxiing tests, along with systems integration and verification tests to ensure the aircraft can operate effectively both on the ground and in the air.

After the initial flight tests are completed, the Navy is expected to expand performance parameters in preparation for carrier flight testing, noting that the aircraft had previously been tested in a carrier environment focusing on operational suitability and handling on the carrier deck without actual flight.

Vice Admiral Daniel Cheever, commander of naval air forces, confirmed that the MQ-25 is the system that "opens the future of manned-unmanned integration on aircraft carriers," paving the way for building an air wing based on Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) concepts.

The MQ-25A Stingray is approximately 15.5 metres long, with a wingspan of 22.9 metres when extended and 9.54 metres when folded for carrier storage, and a height of 3 metres when extended and 4.79 metres when folded.

The propulsion system uses a single Rolls-Royce AE 3007N turbofan engine generating more than 10,000 pounds of thrust, providing the power needed for long-range refueling missions.

The MQ-25 will reduce the burden on F/A-18F Super Hornets that the Navy uses for refueling, allowing the Navy to redirect manned aircraft to other combat missions.

The MQ-25 uses the same refueling pod used on the F/A-18, and is expected to carry up to 7.26 tonnes of fuel with a range of up to 926 km, according to a Navy report presented to Congress last August.

In addition to its primary mission, the MQ-25A has secondary capabilities through its sensor system, including reconnaissance, surveillance, and intelligence gathering similar to the MQ-9 Reaper.

Previous plans also included the possibility of adding signals intelligence capabilities and automatic ship identification systems, opening the door to expanding its missions.

Experiments emerged showing the possibility of F/A-18 pilots controlling the MQ-25 during refueling operations, enhancing integration between unmanned and manned systems.

In the current phase, the Navy is focused on the short-range refueling mission, and this version does not include any offensive capabilities, despite previous conceptual designs supporting it with AGM-158 LRASM anti-ship missiles.

The Navy's FY2026 budget request included approximately 1.04 billion dollars for the purchase, research, development, and testing of the first three MQ-25 aircraft.

The MQ-25 program has faced several schedule delays, and the first flight for development and the initial operational capability were delayed by approximately two years.

The US Navy aims to bring the MQ-25 into actual service by fiscal year 2027, and to ensure this, Boeing opened a 200 million dollar facility in 2024 at MidAmerica Airport to support production of this version.