Boeing MQ-25 Stingray
Carrier-based aerial refueling drone selected by the U.S. Navy in 2018.
Last updated
The Boeing MQ-25 Stingray is an aerial refueling drone developed from the Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System program, which replaced the earlier UCLASS strike concept.[1]
How it changed
The Navy began efforts to develop a carrier-based UAV in 2006, originally envisioning a stealthy strike platform.[2] By 2012, strike requirements were diluted to create an ISR-oriented aircraft for counter-terrorism missions.[2] On 1 February 2016, the Pentagon shifted priority to a carrier-based aerial refueling tanker, addressing the Navy's fighter shortfall by buying more Super Hornets and accelerating F-35C purchases.[3][4] This change freed up the 20–30 percent of Super Hornets performing the tanking mission.[5]
On 4 June 2021, the MQ-25 conducted the first-ever aerial refueling between a manned aircraft and an unmanned tanker, transferring fuel to an F/A-18F Super Hornet.[6][7] The test mission proved the unmanned tanker could use the Navy's standard probe-and-drogue refueling method.[6] Once fielded, the MQ-25 will relieve the Super Hornet fleet of the tanking mission, which can account for more than one-third of Super Hornet flight hours during carrier air wing operations.[6]
What the maker and period sources say
Boeing incorporated lessons from its Phantom Ray unmanned demonstrator and other Boeing unmanned aerial systems.[8][9] Boeing's MQ-25 is powered by one Rolls-Royce AE 3007N turbofan engine delivering 10000 lbf of thrust.[10] The aircraft features a stealthy fuselage shaping, flush inlet, and a V-tail, though it is less stealthy than flying wing UAVs.[10] Chad Reed, the Navy's unmanned carrier aviation program manager, said work was ongoing to integrate MQ-25 with a Lockheed Martin-built ground control station.[6]
Boeing's airframe for the MQ-25 was originally completed in secret in 2014, during a pause in the UCLASS program, and was later brought out of storage for the CBARS competition.[11][9] Although the MQ-25 design was not created from scratch for the tanking role, Boeing has stated that the refueling mission was a factor in its original design.[11][9]
References
- Wikipedia, "Boeing MQ-25 Stingray" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "MQ-25 Stingray: Background and Issues for Congress", Congress.gov (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Boeing MQ-25 Stingray" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: LaGrone, "Navy Picks Boeing to Build MQ-25A Stingray Carrier-Based Drone", U.S. Naval Institute, 30 August 2018 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Boeing MQ-25 Stingray" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Freedberg Jr, "Good-Bye, UCLASS; Hello, Unmanned Tanker, More F-35Cs In 2017 Budget", Breaking Defense, 1 February 2016 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Freedberg Jr, "Good-Bye, UCLASS; Hello, Unmanned Tanker, More F-35Cs In 2017 Budget", Breaking Defense, 1 February 2016. facts only, no text reused. breakingdefense.com
- Wikipedia, "Boeing MQ-25 Stingray" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Freedberg Jr, "Good-Bye, UCLASS; Hello, Unmanned Tanker, More F-35Cs In 2017 Budget", Breaking Defense, 1 February 2016; Cavas, "US Navy's Unmanned Jet Could Be a Tanker", Defense News, 1 February 2016; LaGrone, "Pentagon to Navy: Convert UCLASS Program Into Unmanned Aerial Tanker, Accelerate F-35 Development, Buy More Super Hornets", U.S. Naval Institute, 9 February 2016 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Eckstein, "US Navy, Boeing conduct first-ever aerial refueling with unmanned tanker", Defense News, 7 June 2021. facts only, no text reused. defensenews.com
- Wikipedia, "Boeing MQ-25 Stingray" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Eckstein, "US Navy, Boeing conduct first-ever aerial refueling with unmanned tanker", Defense News, 7 June 2021; Tyrrell, "F-35 fighter refuelled in-flight by unmanned Boeing test aircraft - Aerospace Manufacturing", aero-mag.com, 14 September 2021 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Insinna, "Boeing offers sneak peek of MQ-25 tanker drone", Defense News, 20 December 2017. facts only, no text reused. defensenews.com
- Wikipedia, "Boeing MQ-25 Stingray" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Rogoway, "We Finally See The Wings On Boeing's MQ-25 Drone As Details About Its Genesis Emerge", The Drive, 13 March 2018; Insinna, "Boeing offers sneak peek of MQ-25 tanker drone", Defense News, 20 December 2017; Rogoway, "We Finally See The Wings On Boeing's MQ-25 Drone As Details About Its Genesis Emerge", The Drive, 13 March 2018 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Boeing MQ-25 Stingray" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Rolls-Royce to power Boeing MQ-25 aircraft for US Navy", Rolls Royce, 6 September 2018; "Rolls-Royce to power Boeing MQ-25 aircraft for US Navy", Navy Recognition, 15 September 2018 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Rogoway, "We Finally See The Wings On Boeing's MQ-25 Drone As Details About Its Genesis Emerge", The Drive, 13 March 2018. facts only, no text reused. thedrive.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Boeing MQ-25 Stingray (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Boeing MQ-25 Stingray (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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