US Navy's first representative MQ-25A Stingray tanker drone completes first flight.

The U.S. Navy’s first production-representative MQ-25A Stingray has completed its maiden flight, moving the carrier-based tanker drone from concept to operational testing and bringing unmanned aerial refueling closer to frontline use. This program is of significant importance for the U.S. Navy, because it directly expands the reach of carrier air wings while freeing manned fighters from tanker duties for combat missions.

The MQ-25 Stingray will deliver up to 16,000 pounds of fuel at range using a hose-and-drogue system, enabling longer strike distances and more flexible sortie planning. Its integration with carrier operations and manned aircraft control systems signals a broader shift toward persistent unmanned support, increasing endurance, survivability, and overall combat effectiveness at sea.

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

The MQ-25A Stingray, which recently completed its autonomous taxi tests, employs the Cobham Aerial Refueling Store, identical to the system used by F/A-18E/F Super Hornets in buddy tanker configuration. (Picture source: Boeing)

On April 25, 2026, The Aviationist reported that the production-representative MQ-25A Stingray tanker drone completed its first flight from MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois, initiating the flight test phase of the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) program. The sortie followed an aborted takeoff attempt on April 22, 2026, for which no technical cause was released, and was conducted with a Boeing-owned TA-4J Skyhawk and a U.S. Navy UC-12M Huron acting as chase aircraft to provide visual monitoring, telemetry support, and airspace coordination.

The flight took place 6 years and 7 months after the first flight of the T1 demonstrator on September 19, 2019, marking the transition to a configuration intended for certification and operational evaluation. The MQ-25 involved is one of nine EMD units planned to support the test campaign leading to an Initial Operational Capability (IOC) objective in FY2027. The aircraft departed from Boeing’s dedicated production and integration facility at MidAmerica Airport, which opened in 2024 to support low-rate initial production, establishing the starting point for a formal flight test campaign structured around certification requirements. 

The April 25 sortie represents the first operation of a production-representative MQ-25 Engineering and Manufacturing Development unit, distinct from the earlier T1 demonstrator that focused on proving aerial refueling feasibility. The use of a TA-4J and UC-12M as chase aircraft indicates a standard safety configuration for initial flights, enabling real-time visual inspection and independent telemetry cross-checking. The absence of disclosed test parameters suggests that the aircraft remained within conservative speed, altitude, and maneuvering limits during the sortie. The shift from a planned late-2025 first flight to April 2026 corresponds to a delay of several months, extending a pattern of schedule adjustments that have cumulatively shifted major milestones by about two years compared to earlier program baselines.

At this stage, the focus is on verifying flight stability, control authority, propulsion response, and integration of onboard systems under real flight conditions. The structure of the test program reflects a phased certification approach aligned with naval aviation airworthiness standards. The MQ-25A Stingray tanker drone has a length of 15.5 m (51 ft), a wingspan of 22.9 m (75 ft) when extended and 9.54 m (31.3 ft) when folded for carrier storage, and a height of 3 m (9.8 ft) with wings extended, which increases to 4.79 m (15.7 ft) when folded. The propulsion system consists of a single Rolls-Royce AE 3007N turbofan engine producing more than 10,000 lbf of thrust, providing the power required for sustained refueling missions at extended ranges.

A retractable electro-optical and infrared turret has been integrated beneath the forward fuselage on the EMD unit, introducing an onboard sensing capability not present in the initial T1 configuration. The tanker drone retains the Cobham Aerial Refueling Store (ARS) hose-and-drogue system, ensuring compatibility with existing U.S. Navy fighter jets such as the F/A-18E/F. Each of the nine planned Engineering and Manufacturing Development units, a configuration capable of supporting certification testing, is expected to be used for parallel testing tasks across flight performance, mission systems, and carrier integration. Before the first flight, the MQ-25 Stingray completed a ground test phase to validate system functionality in a controlled environment.

Autonomous taxi tests were conducted at both low and high speeds to verify navigation accuracy, braking performance, steering control, and the ability to execute programmed routing and stop functions. These tests were performed by Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23) and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 24 (UX-24), with UX-24 specializing in unmanned systems developmental testing. System integration activities included propulsion runs, control software validation, and verification of mission system interfaces to ensure that all subsystems operated coherently. Taxi trials confirmed that the Stingray could perform controlled ground movement without pilot input, a requirement for future carrier deck operations where precise positioning is critical.

The completion of these tests in January 2026 reduced the risk prior to initiating flight operations, by confirming system reliability under controlled conditions. Following this initial flight, the test campaign will be structured around incremental expansion of the flight envelope, starting with increases in airspeed, altitude, and maneuvering limits. These tests will evaluate the MQ-25's aerodynamic performance, stability margins, and control system response across a range of operating conditions. Once basic flight characteristics are validated, the program will proceed to mission system testing, including certification of the aerial refueling function using the production configuration.

Carrier suitability testing is planned after sufficient land-based validation, focusing on catapult launch, arrested recovery, and integration with carrier deck operations. Previous testing with the T1 asset included deck handling aboard USS George H.W. Bush but did not involve flight operations from the carrier. Data collected during these phases will be used to support airworthiness certification and determine readiness for Initial Operational Capability in FY2027. Once operational, the MQ-25A’s primary operational role will be to provide organic aerial refueling for the U.S. Navy's carrier air wings, with a projected fuel offload capacity of 14,000 to 16,000 lb at a distance of 500 nautical miles from the carrier.

This capability is enabled by the Cobham Aerial Refueling Store (ARS), which uses a hose-and-drogue system compatible with existing naval aircraft. The aircraft’s propulsion and fuel capacity are also optimized to support extended loiter times and multiple refueling contacts per sortie. Currently, between 20 and 30 percent of F/A-18E/F Super Hornet flight hours are allocated to tanker missions, reducing the number of fighters available for strike and air defense tasks. The MQ-25A is intended to assume this role, allowing Super Hornets to be reassigned to combat missions, thus increasing the effective combat radius of the carrier air wing without increasing the number of fighter aircraft. The operational impact expected is a shift in sortie allocation and improved efficiency in the use of existing assets.

In addition to its refueling mission, the MQ-25A incorporates secondary capabilities enabled by its sensor suite, including the retractable electro-optical and infrared turret. This system allows the MQ-25 Stingray to perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance functions (like the MQ-9 Reaper), providing real-time imagery and situational awareness. Earlier program plans also included the integration of signals intelligence and automatic identification system payloads, indicating the potential for expanded mission roles. The MQ-25 is also expected to perform recovery tanking during carrier launch and recovery cycles, providing fuel support to aircraft returning with low reserves.

While these capabilities expand the tanker drone’s operational utility, the primary focus remains on the refueling mission in the near term, allowing additional systems to be incorporated as requirements evolve. No strike capability is included in the current test configuration, although conceptual models have shown the possibility of carrying AGM-158C LRASM anti-ship missiles. The MQ-25 program continues to operate within defined budgetary and schedule constraints, with Initial Operational Capability (IOC) targeted for FY2027 following a delay of about two years compared to earlier projections.

The U.S Navy’s FY2026 budget request includes $1.04 billion for procurement and research, development, testing, and evaluation activities, covering the first three low-rate initial production aircraft and ongoing development work. The timing of low-rate initial production relative to flight test progress introduces potential risk if testing does not fully validate system performance before production decisions are made. Boeing has invested approximately $200 million in a dedicated production facility at MidAmerica Airport, which supports assembly and integration of the MQ-25A.

The MQ-25A is also integrated into the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System, which provides the command-and-control architecture for carrier-based unmanned operations. This system has been deployed aboard USS George H.W. Bush and at shore-based facilities between 2024 and 2025, enabling operational testing of unmanned aircraft control. It supports the simultaneous management of multiple unmanned aircraft types, including MQ-25 and MQ-20 Avenger, within a unified control framework.

Demonstrations have shown that pilots in F/A-18 jets can control the MQ-25 during refueling operations, enabling direct interaction between manned and unmanned systems. The system also includes hardware, software, and communication links required for mission planning, execution, and monitoring. Integration of the MQ-25A into this architecture is intended to validate operational concepts for manned-unmanned teaming within the carrier air wing, establishing the basis for future expansion of unmanned aviation capabilities in U.S. Navy operations.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.