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MQ-25 Stingray

Boeing · Fixed Wing / Carrier-based aerial refueling (secondary ISR) · USA · Digital Age (2010–present)

MQ-25 Stingray — Fixed Wing / Carrier-based aerial refueling (secondary ISR)
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The Boeing MQ-25 Stingray is an American single-engine, carrier-based aerial-refuelling drone designed by Boeing under a U.S. Navy contract and entering service from 2026. The first carrier-based refuelling drone in U.S. military history, the MQ-25 provides aerial refuelling for U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, F-35C Lightning II, and other carrier-based aircraft, extending strike-mission range from carrier strike groups. The MQ-25 marks a fundamental shift in U.S. Navy carrier-aviation doctrine — the first major role for pilotless carrier aircraft, and a critical enabler for U.S. Navy long-range strike against future Chinese / Russian anti-access / area-denial (A2/AD) threats.

The MQ-25 was developed under the U.S. Navy's CBARS (Carrier-Based Aerial Refuelling System) programme, which evolved from the earlier UCLASS (Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike) programme. Boeing won the CBARS competition over Lockheed Martin and General Atomics in August 2018 with a $805M contract for engineering / manufacturing development. First flight of the MQ-25A T1 prototype was 19 September 2019; carrier-based trials began with USS George H.W. Bush in 2021. The aircraft uses a single Rolls-Royce AE 3007N turbofan engine (~10,000 lbf thrust) — the same engine family used in the RQ-4 Global Hawk and Embraer ERJ-145. Maximum gross weight is around 35,000-40,000 lb; the drone can transfer about 15,000 lb of fuel to receiver aircraft at 500 nm from the carrier — extending F/A-18 / F-35C strike range from carrier strike groups.

The MQ-25's mission concept addresses a critical gap. The U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat and S-3 Viking carrier-based refuelling roles were retired in 2006 and 2009 respectively, leaving the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (with buddy-tank kit) as the only U.S. Navy carrier-based refuelling option. F/A-18E/F buddy-tanking consumes Super Hornets for tanking missions — reducing the strike-aircraft availability of the carrier strike group. The Stingray dedicates a pilotless platform to the refuelling mission, freeing F/A-18E/F aircraft for strike and air-superiority sorties and improving U.S. Navy carrier-aviation efficiency. The MQ-25 also carries a forward-mounted EO/IR sensor turret for limited ISR work, allowing dual-role use in some scenarios.

The MQ-25 programme has progressed through prototype testing (T1 prototype, 2019-2024) and engineering / manufacturing development, and is entering full-rate production from 2025 onwards. Initial Operating Capability (IOC) is planned for 2026 with the first U.S. Navy MQ-25A squadron deploying aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt or USS Carl Vinson. The U.S. Navy programme of record is 76 MQ-25 airframes; full fleet deployment will take through about 2032. Production at Boeing's MidAmerica Airport (St. Clair County, Illinois) facility is being established for full-rate output. Foreign export prospects are limited (the Stingray is U.S. Navy-specific carrier-based equipment), but interest from the Royal Navy and Marine Nationale (France) for their carrier-based operations has been reported.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The Boeing MQ-25 Stingray is the first carrier-based drone to refuel other planes in flight. The MQ-25 first flew in September 2019. It entered American Navy service in 2026 after years of testing. The Navy plans to buy 76 MQ-25s in total.

The MQ-25 has one Rolls-Royce AE 3007 jet engine, the same engine family as the RQ-4 Global Hawk drone. The Stingray weighs about 40,000 pounds at maximum, heavier than a school bus. Top speed is around 510 mph, faster than most race cars. The drone is built to land on Navy carriers, with folding wings for hangar storage.

The MQ-25 carries 15,000 pounds of fuel to give to other planes. A hose drops from under the drone's body, and Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets and F-35C Lightnings plug into it to take fuel. The MQ-25 can do this 500 miles from its carrier, doubling the strike range of Navy jets.

The MQ-25 came from the X-47B program, the Navy's first stealth combat drone test plane. The Navy chose not to make a combat drone but instead a tanker drone, freeing up manned F/A-18s for combat missions. The MQ-25 is the first step in the Navy's plan to use more unmanned planes on aircraft carriers.

Fun Facts

  • The MQ-25 is the first carrier-based drone to refuel other planes.
  • Top speed is around 510 mph, faster than most race cars.
  • The MQ-25 weighs about 40,000 pounds, heavier than a school bus.
  • The MQ-25 first flew in September 2019.
  • The MQ-25 carries 15,000 pounds of fuel for other planes.
  • The Navy plans to buy 76 MQ-25s in total.
  • The MQ-25 came from the X-47B stealth combat drone program.

Kids’ Questions

Why a tanker drone?

About 20 to 30 percent of Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet flights are used for refueling other Super Hornets. This wastes manned pilots on a boring tanker job. A tanker drone frees up F/A-18s for fighting and strike missions, while doing the refueling job just as well.

How is it different from a KC-10?

The KC-10 is big, manned, and flies from land. The MQ-25 is small, unmanned, and flies from Navy carriers. The KC-10 carries hundreds of thousands of pounds of fuel; the MQ-25 carries only 15,000. But the MQ-25 can launch from a carrier in the middle of the ocean, where the KC-10 cannot.

Why did the X-47B not enter service?

The X-47B was a stealth combat drone test plane. The Navy decided that a combat drone was too costly and complex to build right away. Instead, they ordered the simpler MQ-25 tanker drone first. The MQ-25 is the first step. Future Navy combat drones could come later, learning from MQ-25 experience.

Variants

MQ-25A Stingray (current production)
U.S. Navy production variant. Service entry 2026. Rolls-Royce AE 3007N engine, EO/IR sensor turret, autonomous-flight control. ~76 programmed for U.S. Navy carrier strike groups.
MQ-25 T1 (prototype)
Initial prototype variant. First flight 19 September 2019. Used for engineering / manufacturing development; carrier-based testing completed 2021. Design-validation airframe only; not a frontline aircraft.
MQ-25 Phantom Eye (proposed)
Boeing concept for an extended-endurance MQ-25 variant. Liquid-hydrogen-fuelled, multi-day endurance. Studied 2014-2018; not procured.
Future MQ-25 variants
Proposed evolution variants include extended-payload tanker derivatives, ISR-optimised airframes, and future strike-variant concepts. None currently in production.
X-47B (predecessor demonstrator)
Northrop Grumman X-47B Pegasus — the U.S. Navy's earlier carrier-based drone demonstrator that proved carrier-aviation viability for pilotless aircraft. X-47B made the first pilotless carrier landing in November 2013. Programme retired without full production; lessons informed MQ-25 development.

Notable Operators

United States Navy
Sole operator. ~76 MQ-25A programmed for U.S. Navy carrier strike groups. Operating units: U.S. Navy fleet-replacement squadrons / fighter squadrons aboard Nimitz-class (CVN-68) and Ford-class (CVN-78) aircraft carriers. Initial deployment 2026 onwards.
Carrier strike group integration
MQ-25 will operate as an integrated part of U.S. Navy Carrier Strike Group air wings. Deployment will replace F/A-18E/F refuelling missions; F/A-18E/F can then be used for primary strike / air-superiority roles. The change is expected to lift carrier-strike-group sortie efficiency by an estimated 20-30%.
Future foreign / international interest
Royal Navy: reported interest in MQ-25 / similar UAV for Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. Marine Nationale (France): reported interest for Charles de Gaulle / future PA-NG carrier. Direct foreign sales unlikely given the U.S. Navy-specific carrier role; alternative export programmes may be developed.
Production / future
Production at Boeing's MidAmerica Airport facility (St. Clair County, Illinois) being established for full-rate manufacturing. Initial production rate: ~10-12 airframes per year. Programme of record: 76 airframes. Initial Operating Capability planned 2026; full fleet deployment by around 2032.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the U.S. Navy need a tanker drone?

To free F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft from refuelling missions. Currently, U.S. Navy aircraft carriers rely on F/A-18E/F Super Hornets equipped with buddy-tank kits to provide aerial refuelling for other carrier-based aircraft. This consumes F/A-18 strike availability — typically 4-6 F/A-18E/F per carrier are dedicated to tanking missions, reducing the strike / air-superiority aircraft available for combat. The MQ-25 dedicates a robotic platform to tanking, freeing all F/A-18E/F for combat sorties. The U.S. Navy's previous dedicated tanker fleet (KA-6D Intruder, retired 1996; S-3 Viking, retired 2009; F-14 Tomcat with tanker kit, retired 2006) has not been replaced. The Stingray fills this critical gap.

How much fuel does the MQ-25 transfer?

About 15,000 lb of fuel transferable to receiver aircraft at 500 nm from the carrier — enough to extend F/A-18E/F or F-35C combat-air patrol / strike range from the aircraft carrier. For comparison: U.S. Air Force KC-46 Pegasus can offload around 200,000 lb at 500 nm; KC-135 roughly 120,000 lb. The MQ-25 is much smaller than land-based tankers but covers typical carrier-aviation refuelling profiles. Multiple MQ-25 sorties can stack additional fuel for sustained sorties.

How does the MQ-25 operate from carriers?

Like other carrier-based aircraft. The MQ-25 uses standard U.S. Navy carrier launch / recovery procedures: catapult launch from CV / CVN steam catapults (the future EMALS catapults on Ford-class), arrested-landing recovery using tailhook + arresting wires, and folding-wing storage for hangar / flight-deck space efficiency. The aircraft is run by a Mission Control Element (MCE) station aboard the aircraft carrier; ground control stations at carrier homeport bases (Naval Air Station Oceana, Naval Air Station Lemoore, Naval Air Station North Island) provide reach-back support and training. Autonomous flight control lets the MQ-25 fly standard tanker sorties with minimal operator input.

How does the MQ-25 compare to the X-47B?

The X-47B was the U.S. Navy's earlier carrier drone demonstrator. Northrop Grumman X-47B Pegasus (2007-2015): low-observable flying-wing design, 6,250 lb empty weight, 6,250 lb internal weapons bay, made the first pilotless carrier landing in November 2013, retired without full production. MQ-25A (2026-): conventional configuration, ~35,000 lb empty weight, primarily aerial-refuelling mission profile, full frontline service. The X-47B proved the technical viability of pilotless carrier aviation; the Stingray puts that role into the fleet for tanking missions. The two represent different stages of U.S. Navy carrier-drone development.

How much does the MQ-25 cost?

About $93M USD per airframe (2024 unit cost). With full mission system (ground control station, training, support equipment): ~$130M USD per system. The U.S. Navy programme of record is 76 airframes for total programme cost roughly $11-12 billion through 2032. Operating cost: around $7,500-10,000 per flight hour. The fairly high acquisition cost reflects the complexity of carrier-based drone operations (catapult-launch / arrested-landing certification, autonomous-flight software, electromagnetic-interference hardening for the shipboard environment).

When will the MQ-25 deploy?

Initial Operating Capability planned 2026 with the first U.S. Navy MQ-25A squadron deploying aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt or USS Carl Vinson. Full deployment across the U.S. Navy carrier fleet is planned through about 2032. The first carrier deployment will be a milestone in U.S. Navy carrier-aviation history — the first sustained frontline use of a pilotless aircraft from a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. Future carrier-based drones (potential strike / air-superiority variants) will build on the Stingray's fleet experience.

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