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MQ25 Stingray First Carrier Based Refueling Drone Enters Production for US Navy and Attracts US Air Force.
On April 17, 2025, the Congressional Research Service published a detailed brief on the MQ-25 Stingray program, marking a new and significant phase in the modernization of the U.S. Navy's carrier-based aviation capabilities. This document, submitted to the U.S. Congress, outlines the progress made in the program and provides a forward-looking assessment of what is expected to become the first carrier-based unmanned aerial refueling and ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) platform.
Designed for seamless integration into evolving tactical architectures, the MQ-25 reflects a convergence of strategic needs between the Navy and Air Force. (Picture source: Boeing)
The MQ-25 Stingray is an unmanned aerial refueling aircraft developed by Boeing for the U.S. Navy, designed to extend the combat range of carrier-based aircraft such as the F/A-18 Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, and F-35C Lightning II. With a fuel transfer capacity estimated at 15,000 pounds delivered at distances beyond 500 nautical miles from an aircraft carrier, the MQ-25 addresses a long-standing operational gap within U.S. Navy carrier air wings. Currently, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets must be diverted from combat roles to perform aerial refueling. By introducing an autonomous refueling drone, the Navy aims to optimize the combat availability of its manned assets while expanding the operational radius of the carrier air wing. In its Fiscal Year 2025 budget request, the U.S. Navy allocated $898 million to procure three initial aircraft and continue research, development, testing, and evaluation (RDT&E) efforts. The full program of record includes 76 aircraft—67 for operational deployment and nine for testing.
Boeing has applied its extensive experience in carrier aviation—spanning back over 90 years from the Douglas TBD Devastator to today’s F/A-18E/F—to the development of the MQ-25. In 2018, the company was awarded a contract to produce engineering development model (EDM) aircraft. The Boeing-owned T1 test asset, which first flew in 2019, accumulated approximately 125 flight hours and successfully conducted aerial refueling missions with three aircraft types: F/A-18, E-2D Hawkeye, and F-35C. In 2021, the T1 was integrated aboard the USS George H.W. Bush, demonstrating its deck handling capabilities. This early phase laid the groundwork for five EMD aircraft currently under production—alongside one static test unit—at Boeing’s facility in St. Louis, Missouri. The first flight of an EMD unit is scheduled for December 2025. To support scale-up, Boeing plans to relocate production to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois, by the end of 2025 as the program moves toward full-rate production.
At the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2024, Boeing confirmed that the Navy was preparing to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the low-rate initial production (LRIP) phase in the second half of 2024, with a contract expected by mid-2025. In parallel, Boeing is investing in the development of a new ground control system and software architecture that would allow F/A-18 Super Hornets or E-2D Hawkeyes to remotely command the MQ-25 during its missions. This system is designed specifically to meet Navy integration requirements and to operate with next-generation control stations.
In a significant expansion of the program’s scope, Boeing also introduced a land-based variant of the MQ-25 at the Air & Space Forces Association’s Air Space & Cyber Conference on September 16, 2024. Known as the MQ-25 LBV (Land-Based Variant), this model was developed internally with input from the U.S. Air Force to support future refueling needs in contested environments. The LBV features a wingspan extended to 92 feet—compared to 75 feet on the carrier-based version—eliminating the need for folding mechanisms and increasing wing fuel storage by 40%. Digital modeling enabled Boeing to optimize the configuration, which now includes two 3,000-pound external pylons capable of carrying additional refueling equipment or mission payloads.
The MQ-25 LBV retains a hose-and-drogue refueling system and is intended to support Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) as part of the Air Force’s broader Next-Generation Aerial Refueling System (NGAS) strategy. The variant may also be adapted for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), electronic warfare, and airborne early warning roles. An image presented during the 2024 conference depicted the LBV receiving fuel from a KC-46 tanker. Its design remains compatible with existing probe-equipped aircraft.
Together, the naval and land-based versions of the MQ-25 represent a cross-service enabler for distributed operations. Designed for seamless integration into evolving tactical architectures, the MQ-25 reflects a convergence of strategic needs between the Navy and Air Force. As other global military powers develop similar capabilities, the MQ-25 Stingray stands to become the first fully operational system of its kind—marking a pivotal shift in autonomous aerial refueling and multipurpose unmanned systems in 21st-century aerospace strategy.