The U.S. Navy’s first production representative, the MQ-25 Stingray, has completed its maiden flight, marking a significant step toward carrier-based unmanned aerial refueling.
The U.S. Navy’s production flagship MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aerial refueling aircraft successfully completed its first flight on April 25, 2026. The flight, initially planned for the end of 2025, is a significant milestone in the U.S. Navy’s efforts to operate its first carrier-based unmanned aerial vehicle.
The MQ-25 took off from St. Louis Airport in Missouri, where Boeing’s production facility is located, with a company-owned TA-4J Skyhawk and a U.S. Navy UC-12M Huron as chase planes.
The first flight was attempted on April 22, but takeoff was aborted for unknown reasons.
The first flight of the production flagship MQ-25 took place almost seven years after the first flight of the T1 test asset on September 19, 2019. The new aircraft features several modifications over the T1, including a folding electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) turret.
Earlier this year, in January, Boeing and the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced that a production flagship prototype was undergoing taxi testing. The development follows confirmation by senior officials that the first flight, described as a pivotal milestone for the future of unmanned aircraft carriers, has been delayed to early 2026.
With the maiden flight, the program now transitions from ground testing to full flight test operations. The service plans for initial operational capability (IOC) in FY2027, with a total of nine aircraft being built to perform the testing needed to support that schedule.
The taxi tests were conducted by the Navy’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23) and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 24 (UX-24), the latter specializing in developmental testing of unmanned aircraft systems. The two units will continue to collaborate on flight test campaigns.
The long-awaited first flight
The first flight is the culmination of an extensive series of ground tests, including autonomous taxi trials at low and high speeds, as well as system integration and validation checks. These activities were essential to verify the aircraft’s ability to operate safely both on the ground and in the air.
The previous T1 demonstrator has already proven the unmanned aerial refueling concept, but new tests will likely be conducted to certify the capability with the MQ-25’s new configuration. Data collected during testing will be used to better prepare the vehicle for introduction.
Once initial flight testing is complete, the Navy is expected to conduct envelope expansion flights in preparation for the start of flight testing on an aircraft carrier. In the past, the MQ-25 was tested in an aircraft carrier environment without flight, focusing on fit testing and deck handling.
The role of the MQ-25
The significance of the MQ-25’s first flight extends far beyond the flight itself. Navy officials have long described the Stingray as a “pioneer” for integrating unmanned aerial vehicles into large-scale aircraft carrier operations.
Naval Air Forces Commander Vice Admiral Daniel Cheever repeatedly emphasized that the MQ-25 is a system that “unlocks the future of manned-unmanned teaming on aircraft carriers” and enables future carrier air wings built on the Cooperative Combat Aircraft (CCA) concept. In fact, the Navy plans to use the MQ-25 to, among other things, introduce unmanned aerial vehicles to its carrier fleet.
The Stingray’s primary mission is aerial refueling, relieving the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fleet of refueling duties. This is expected to be the drone’s most pressing mission, accounting for up to a third of Super Hornet sorties, according to Navy figures, freeing up the crew for other missions.
The MQ-25 is expected to deliver up to 14,000 to 16,000 pounds of fuel at 500 nautical miles by being equipped with the same Cobham ARS pods already used by the F/A-18, the Navy told Congress in an August 2025 report. This increases both the range and availability of strike fighters aboard Nimitz-class and Ford-class aircraft carriers.
A secondary intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) role is also planned, with the Stingray using a retractable sensor turret to provide an organic surveillance and recovery tank during carrier operations. Early in the MQ-25 program, the aircraft was described as capable of conducting ISR by being equipped with Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Automatic Identification System (AIS), and Electro-Optical/InfraRed (EO/IR) equipment.
sleeping schedule
The MQ-25 has already faced several schedule adjustments. Key program milestones, including the first EMD aircraft flight and initial operational capability (IOC), were delayed by approximately two years during the last development cycle, according to selected Pentagon acquisition reports and GAO assessments cited in an August 2025 report to Congress.
GAO also warned of cost risks if low-rate initial production begins before sufficient testing is completed. The Navy’s FY2026 budget request includes $1.04 billion for procurement and RDT&E, which includes the first three LRIP aircraft and continued development of the UMCS.
Current plans call for an IOC no later than FY2027. To stay on schedule, Boeing has opened a $200 million production facility at Mid-America Airport in Illinois in 2024 to support future low-rate production, and Congress has been closely monitoring program costs and risk assessments.
The Navy has also been working with Lockheed Martin to continue the maturation of the UMCS. UMCS installations were completed aboard the USS George HW Bush (CVN 77) and at shore sites in 2024 and 2025, demonstrating the system’s ability to command Naval Air Vehicle pilots not only the MQ-25, but also unmanned aerial vehicles such as the MQ-20 Avenger.
As previously reported here aeronauticsBoeing also demonstrated manned/unmanned teaming technology that allows F/A-18 pilots to take control of the MQ-25 during refueling operations.
