Boeing's MQ-25A Stingray drone has received authorization to enter low-rate initial production, clearing the Milestone C threshold, along with its first order from the U.S. Navy.
This event marks an important step forward in the U.S. Navy's pursuit of unmanned carrier aviation. The Lot 1 production contract for three UAVs is expected to be awarded this summer and will include option pricing for Lot 2 (3 units) and Lot 3 (5 units), the U.S. Department of War official statement reads.
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The decision to proceed to production of the MQ-25A Stingray followed the successful flight of the first operational non-prototype aircraft in late April. These drones are expected to significantly enhance carrier strike group capabilities by freeing up approximately 30% of F/A-18 E/F wing aircraft that currently perform the refueling mission.
The shift will also conserve airframe life on the F/A-18, as catapult launches and flight with a full fuel load place considerable structural strain on the fighter.
The use of the low-observable MQ-25A will also allow fifth-generation F-35 fighters to be refueled with a reduced signature and at closer proximity to the adversary.
As the official statement notes, the MQ-25A is the world's first fully integrated carrier-based UAV and a true pioneer in its category and this means the U.S. Navy has officially entered the era of autonomous aviation. The drone's defining characteristic is its broad operational autonomy.
The MQ-25A is capable of performing autonomously: taxiing, takeoff, route flight, loitering in a designated area, aerial refueling, and landing on a carrier. Throughout this entire cycle, a human operator provides only high-level commands and monitors their execution. In terms of declared autonomy and capability scope, this drone surpasses anything previously fielded by the United States.
This milestone also signals that serial autonomous unmanned fighters are now just half a step away. In the United States, loyal wingman prototypes YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A are already conducting flight tests, while Turkiye's Kızılelma from Baykar for which a high degree of autonomy has also been declared is in the final stages of testing.
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