US Navy’s MQ-25 ‘Stingray’ Set to Fly in 2025, Integrate with Carriers by 2026

Washington, D.C., August 27, 2025 — The U.S. Navy has confirmed that its first Boeing MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aerial refueling aircraft will make its first flight in 2025, with carrier integration scheduled for 2026. The announcement came from Vice Admiral Daniel Cheever, Commander of Naval Air Forces, during a defense discussion hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the U.S. Naval Institute.

A New Era of Carrier Aviation

The Navy plans to acquire 76 Stingrays at an estimated cost of $13 billion, embedding the tanker drone as a standard part of future carrier air wings. The program is seen as a strategic move to relieve F/A-18E/F Super Hornets from their taxing “buddy tanker” missions, which consume up to a third of their sorties. By handing over this responsibility to the MQ-25, the Navy expects to preserve fighter airframe life and increase combat availability.

Tested and Proven

Development of the Stingray has already reached important milestones. Boeing’s prototype, known as T1, first flew in 2019 and went on to successfully refuel Super Hornets, F-35Cs, and E-2D Hawkeyes in 2021. That same year, the drone was tested aboard the USS George H.W. Bush, proving its ability to operate on carrier decks. The Bush also became the first carrier equipped with the MD-5E ground control station, which will serve as the hub for uncrewed operations at sea.

Technical Highlights

The MQ-25 measures 15.5 meters in length with a 22.9-meter wingspan (folding to 9.5 meters for carrier storage). Powered by a Rolls-Royce AE 3007N turbofan engine, it can deliver 15,000 pounds (7,250 kg) of fuel at ranges up to 930 kilometers, enough to support multiple aircraft per sortie. Its design incorporates stealth features such as a flush-mounted intake and V-tail, ensuring both efficiency and reduced radar visibility.

Although designed as a tanker, the Stingray’s underwing hardpoints and modular structure suggest room for growth. Concepts shown by Boeing include the integration of electro-optical sensors and even long-range anti-ship missiles, pointing to possible intelligence and strike roles in the future.

Overcoming Production Challenges

Production has faced hurdles, including a recent machinists’ strike in the St. Louis region that disrupted Boeing’s assembly lines for the MQ-25 as well as other aircraft like the F-15EX and T-7A trainer. Despite delays, ground testing of engineering development models is progressing. EDM-3 is slated to be the first production-standard Stingray to fly, followed by EDM-2.

Foundation for the Future

Navy leaders emphasize that the Stingray is more than just a tanker. It represents the first step toward manned-unmanned teaming on carriers — a future in which human pilots and autonomous aircraft operate side by side. This echoes earlier Navy experience pairing P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft with MQ-4C Tritons in maritime surveillance.

With Initial Operational Capability targeted for 2027, the MQ-25 will not only expand the range and endurance of carrier strike groups but also lay the groundwork for the Navy’s sixth-generation vision of air wings that combine manned fighters with diverse uncrewed aircraft.

In summary: The MQ-25 Stingray is set to redefine U.S. carrier aviation by freeing strike fighters from refueling duty, extending combat power, and opening the door to a new era of unmanned naval operations.