U.S. Navy Conducts First Autonomous Taxi Test of Operational MQ-25A Stingray.

The U.S. Navy’s first operational MQ-25A Stingray completed its first autonomous taxi test on January 30, 2026, Boeing announced. The event marks an early but meaningful step toward integrating uncrewed aircraft into the daily rhythm of carrier flight deck operations.

According to information released by Boeing, the first operational MQ-25A Stingray for the U.S. Navy has completed its initial autonomous taxi test, executing a controlled sequence of ground manoeuvres in response to commands from Air Vehicle Pilots. While the test was conducted ashore, Navy officials view it as a critical precursor to carrier integration, where aircraft movement on crowded flight decks is widely regarded as one of the most complex and hazardous phases of naval aviation.
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The first operational U.S. Navy MQ-25A Stingray unmanned aircraft conducts its inaugural autonomous taxi test, validating ground handling and control systems ahead of future carrier deck integration. (Picture source: Boeing Defense)

Unlike earlier unmanned demonstrators, the aircraft involved was configured to operational standards, reinforcing the MQ-25A's intended status as a fleet asset rather than an experimental platform. At the push of a single command, the Stingray initiated movement, followed designated taxi routes, executed controlled turns, and performed stop-and-hold procedures that replicate carrier deck handling requirements. Boeing engineers confirmed that the aircraft’s autonomy stack successfully fused navigation data, control logic, and safety constraints, enabling predictable behavior in a dynamic environment. For the U.S. Navy, this validation is essential because carrier decks demand not only technical precision but absolute trust in system reliability.

The MQ-25A program emerged from a fundamental reassessment of carrier aviation following years of combat operations and emerging peer threats. By the mid-2010s, Navy analysis concluded that the effective combat radius of carrier-based fighters had eroded as threats grew in range and sophistication. Rather than pursuing an immediate new manned aircraft, the Navy identified organic aerial refueling as the most urgent operational gap. In August 2018, Boeing was awarded the Engineering and Manufacturing Development contract for MQ-25, defeating proposals from General Atomics and Lockheed Martin. The initial contract, valued at approximately USD 805 million, included four development aircraft, ground control systems, and support equipment. Subsequent contract actions and low-rate initial production decisions expanded the program and confirmed Boeing as the prime contractor for the Navy’s first operational carrier-based uncrewed aircraft.

From the U.S. Navy’s operational perspective, the MQ-25A Stingray is designed as a force-multiplying enabler embedded at the heart of carrier strike operations. Its primary mission is organic aerial refueling, a role that for decades forced F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to sacrifice combat availability through buddy-tanking missions. By transferring this burden to an unmanned platform, the Navy expects to immediately restore dozens of fighter flight hours per carrier air wing to strike, escort, and air defense roles. Powered by a Rolls-Royce AE 3007N turbofan engine, the MQ-25A is optimized for endurance and fuel efficiency. It is expected to offload more than 6,800 kg (15,000 lb) of fuel at operationally relevant distances, significantly extending the reach of F-35C Lightning II and Super Hornet strike packages.

However, U.S. Navy planners see the MQ-25A as far more than a tanker. Internally, the aircraft is regarded as the entry point for a broader unmanned aviation ecosystem aboard aircraft carriers. Its autonomy, communications architecture, and deck integration procedures are deliberately designed to support future mission expansion. Navy officials have indicated that once carrier operations are normalized, the MQ-25A could assume secondary roles such as persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support, airborne communications relay to extend command-and-control over distributed forces, and battlespace sensing to support long-range targeting. These missions would allow manned aircraft to focus on kinetic tasks while unmanned systems handle persistence and coverage.

The autonomous taxi test directly supports this long-term vision. Carrier decks are unforgiving operational environments with minimal tolerance for error, crowded layouts, and constant exposure to jet blast, moving aircraft, and deck motion. By validating autonomous ground maneuvering early, the Navy is addressing one of the highest-risk elements of unmanned carrier aviation. Program officials stress that safe and predictable deck behavior is a prerequisite for future catapult launches and arrested recoveries, which will introduce additional complexity and stress on the system. The data collected during this test will directly inform Navy-developed deck-handling procedures, human-machine interaction models, and safety certification processes.

When viewed against international developments, the MQ-25A highlights a distinctly American approach to unmanned naval aviation. European efforts, such as the Dassault-led nEUROn, prioritized stealth-shaping, autonomous-strike concepts, and technology maturation over operational deployment. While nEUROn provided valuable insights into low-observable uncrewed aircraft, it was never intended to operate routinely from aircraft carriers or to perform enabling missions within a naval air wing. Current European future combat air system initiatives remain focused on strike and manned-unmanned teaming, with no equivalent carrier-based unmanned refueling capability in development.

Russia’s unmanned aviation programs, including the S-70 Okhotnik-B, are similarly oriented toward heavy strike and loyal wingman roles supporting manned fighters such as the Su-57. These platforms are land-based and prioritize payload and penetration over maritime integration. Russian naval aviation has not demonstrated a carrier-capable, uncrewed aircraft with autonomous deck handling or aerial refueling capabilities, reflecting fundamentally different priorities and constraints.

China has shown growing interest in carrier-compatible uncrewed aircraft, with jet-powered systems such as the GJ-11 Sharp Sword observed in testing and evaluation contexts. Analysts assess that China views unmanned carrier aviation as a future force multiplier, particularly for reconnaissance and strike roles. However, no Chinese system has yet been confirmed as an operational carrier-based tanker integrated into routine fleet service. In this respect, the MQ-25A provides the U.S. Navy with a decisive first-mover advantage in embedding unmanned systems into daily carrier operations rather than treating them as niche or experimental assets.

For the U.S. Navy, the value of introducing the MQ-25A extends into operational, strategic, and institutional dimensions. Operationally, it increases strike range, sortie generation, and carrier survivability by allowing carriers to operate farther from hostile shores. Strategically, it supports distributed maritime operations by enabling longer-range airpower without expanding the manned fleet. Institutionally, it forces the Navy to adapt training, maintenance, deck operations, and command-and-control processes to accommodate unmanned systems as routine participants in carrier aviation.

As the MQ-25A Stingray progresses toward catapult launch testing and arrested landings, each milestone represents not only technical progress but cultural change within naval aviation. The successful autonomous taxi test demonstrates that uncrewed aircraft are beginning to meet the Navy’s highest safety and reliability standards in the most demanding environment in military aviation. For Army Recognition readers, the MQ-25A should be viewed not simply as a new aircraft, but as a structural shift in how the U.S. Navy intends to generate airpower, manage risk, and maintain carrier relevance in an era defined by long-range threats and great power competition.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.