On Monday, April 27, 2026, U.S. company Boeing announced the first flight of the first operational MQ-25A Stingray unmanned aerial tanker of the CBARS (Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System) class, intended for the domestic U.S. Navy. The maiden flight was preceded by ground tests conducted since January this year.
Photos: Boeing
The aircraft took off on April 25 from the company’s MidAmerica airport in Mascoutah, Illinois, and the flight lasted two hours. During the flight, the MQ-25A successfully demonstrated its ability to autonomously taxi, take off, fly, land, and respond to commands from the MD-5 Ground Control Station (GCS), which was operated by Boeing and US Navy personnel.
After becoming airborne, the Stingray carried out a predetermined mission plan that confirmed the proper functioning of its flight controls, navigation, and safe integration with the MD-5 GCS.
“Today’s successful flight builds on years of learning from our MQ-25A T1 prototype and represents a major maturation of the program,” said Dan Gillian, vice president and general manager, Boeing Air Dominance. “The MQ-25A is the most complex autonomous system ever developed for the carrier environment, and this historic achievement advances us closer to safely integrating the Stingray into the carrier air wing.”
“The first flight of the MQ-25A is a landmark achievement for the Navy-Boeing team and a critical step toward the future of the carrier air wing,” said Rear Adm. Tony Rossi, who oversees the Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons. “This flight demonstrates our progress in delivering a carrier-based refueling capability that will significantly extend the reach and lethality of our fleet.”
On the customer’s side, the tests are being supervised by the US Navy’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23 “Salty Dogs”) and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 24 (UX-24 Ghost Wolves).
“Watching our first Navy aircraft complete an autonomous flight underscores what disciplined teamwork and rigorous testing deliver,” said Troy Rutherford, vice president, Boeing MQ-25 program. “Today would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our Boeing, Navy, and industry team. Together, we are redefining the future of naval aviation and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with autonomy.”
Boeing and the US Navy will conduct additional flights from MidAmerica, after which the aircraft will be redeployed to Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, where the certification process with US Navy naval aviation will begin.
So far, a total of nine aircraft have been ordered under the EDM (Engineering Development Models) phase, comprising four aircraft worth 805 million USD, and the SDTA (System Demonstration Test Articles) phase, comprising five aircraft for static, fatigue, and flight testing. Earlier tests involved the first T1 demonstrator prototype, registration number N234MQ, which made its maiden flight on September 19, 2019, including tests aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71).
Ultimately, the US Department of Defense plans to order 76 production aircraft under a program estimated at 13 billion USD. The first are to be procured under the record NDAA defense budget for fiscal year 2027.
They are powered by a Rolls-Royce AE 3007N turbofan engine with 4,500 kg of thrust. The role of the tankers will be to deliver up to 6,350 kg of fuel via probe-and-drogue refueling hoses to carrier-based aircraft at distances of up to 926 km from the aircraft carrier. Once fitted with electro-optical heads, the unmanned aircraft will also be capable of carrying out intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions for the carrier air wing (MQ-25A Stingray makes first flight; Boeing to deliver unmanned tankers to the US Navy).
The first squadron of the new aircraft, VUQ-10 (Unmanned Carrier-Launched Multi-Role Squadron 10), was formed between August and October 2020, but the process was effectively finalized on October 1, 2022, at Naval Air Station Ventura County in California. The squadron became part of the Airborne Command & Control and Logistics Wing (ACCLW) and is subordinate to Naval Air Forces Pacific. Two further squadrons, VUQ-11 and VUQ-12, will be formed subsequently.
Boeing is currently offering the MQ-25A Stingray on foreign markets in Australia, France, Japan, and the United Kingdom, the last of which has expressed initial interest.
A new era in naval aviation takes flight!
The first @USNavy MQ-25A Stingray™ has completed its first flight, demonstrating its ability to taxi, take off, fly, and land autonomously.
MQ-25A will extend the carrier air wing's reach by providing unmanned aerial refueling. pic.twitter.com/mZKCb8IpBE
— Boeing Defense (@BoeingDefense) April 27, 2026