MQ-25 Stingray

MQ-25 Stingray overview

The MQ-25 Stingray is the U.S. Navy's first carrier-based unmanned aerial refueling aircraft, developed by Boeing under the Carrier-Based Aerial Refueling System (CBARS) program. Boeing won the $805 million Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract in August 2018, and the T1 test article conducted its first flight in September 2019 from MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois. The Stingray is designed to extend the operational range and combat radius of carrier air wing strike fighters including the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, and F-35C Lightning II by providing organic aerial refueling. This frees up strike fighters that previously performed the 'buddy tanking' role to instead carry out their primary combat missions, dramatically increasing the offensive output of a carrier air wing.

The MQ-25 program achieved a rapid sequence of aviation milestones. In June 2021, the T1 test article completed the first-ever aerial refueling of a Super Hornet, offloading fuel at altitude — a defining moment for carrier-based unmanned aviation. In August 2021 it successfully refueled an F-35C Lightning II, followed by an EA-18G Growler in September 2021, completing refueling demonstrations with all three aircraft types it will support operationally. In September 2022, the MQ-25 completed critical deck handling trials aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) in the Atlantic Ocean, validating its ability to operate within the confined space of a carrier flight deck alongside manned aircraft.

Flight testing has continued at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, where the EMD program has worked through challenges related to software maturation, propulsion reliability, and carrier integration requirements. Each MQ-25 is expected to be capable of offloading approximately 15,000 pounds of fuel at a range of around 500 nautical miles from the carrier, representing a significant extension of strike fighter combat radius. The Navy revised its planned quantity to approximately six aircraft per carrier air wing. First operational deployment is targeted for the late 2020s, with initial operational capability anticipated around 2026–2027.

Beyond its primary tanker mission, the Stingray's airframe offers considerable growth potential. The Navy has evaluated using the platform for airborne ISR and as a communications relay node to extend the carrier strike group's network reach beyond the line-of-sight limitations of shipboard systems. The aircraft's subsonic performance, low-observable profile, and ability to operate without a pilot at risk make it a compelling multi-role platform as unmanned carrier aviation matures. The MQ-25 is poised to fundamentally reshape carrier air wing strike range and composition for decades to come, and represents the first step toward a broader unmanned presence aboard the U.S. Navy's aircraft carriers.

Armament

None (aerial refueling tanker)

Development and operational timeline

1. Aug 2018Boeing wins $805 million MQ-25 EMD contract over Lockheed, Northrop, General Atomics
2. Sep 2019MQ-25 T1 test article completes maiden flight at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
3. Jun 2021First-ever aerial refueling of F/A-18 Super Hornet by unmanned aircraft
4. Aug 2021MQ-25 refuels F-35C Lightning II — first unmanned refueling of 5th-gen carrier jet
5. Sep 2021EA-18G Growler refueled by MQ-25, completing all three carrier aircraft type demonstrations
6. Sep 2022Deck handling trials aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) validated
7. Jun 2023EMD software maturation testing continues at NAS Patuxent River
8. Jul 2024Boeing and Navy work through propulsion and autonomy system refinements
9. Mar 2025MQ-25 EMD program advances; IOC target confirmed for late 2020s