Moog to supply Wing Flight Control actuators for US Navy MQ-25 tanker drone.

Moog Aircraft Group has been awarded a contract by The Boeing Company to supply the Wing Flight Control actuation and Wingfold actuation systems for the MQ-25 unmanned refueling program.

MQ-25 (Picture source: US Navy )

“Moog is excited to be selected as part of the Boeing MQ-25 program and is looking forward to providing the next-generation actuation systems for the first unmanned refueling carrier aircraft for the U.S. Navy,” said Ralph Elbert, Group Vice President and General Manager, Military Sector at Moog Aircraft Group.

The Wing Flight Control actuators control the unmanned vehicle during all flight regimes while the Wingfold actuators allow the vehicle to be more easily moved aboard the carrier. In addition to the electro-mechanical actuators, Moog will also provide electronic Actuator Control Units to control the actuators.

The MQ-25 is the U.S. Navy’s first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft and is designed to provide a much-needed refueling capability. The contract supports Boeing’s engineering and manufacturing development program to provide four MQ-25 aircraft to the U.S. Navy for Initial Operational Capability by 2024.

Moog Aircraft Group has been a supplier to Boeing for the past 50 years and supports a range of other defense and commercial programs.

“The MQ-25 program is vital because it will help the U.S. Navy extend the range of the carrier air wing, and Boeing and our industry team is all-in on delivering this capability,” said Dave Bujold, Boeing’s MQ-25 program director. “The work we’re doing is also foundational for the future of Boeing – where we’re building autonomous systems from seabed to space.