On Friday, January 30, 2026, the American company Boeing and Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) of the United States Navy announced via social media the start of trials of the first operational MQ-25A Stingray unmanned aerial tanker, part of the CBARS (Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System) program.
Photo: Boeing
A nearly one-minute video was released from MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois, where the completed aircraft was rolled out of the hangar. Under the supervision of specialists from the U.S. Navy’s VX-23 Salty Dogs (23rd Test and Evaluation Squadron) and UX-24 Ghost Wolves (Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 24), the first low-speed taxi test was successfully completed. Control was exercised using the UCAMCS (Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System). Personnel from VX-23 and UX-24 arrived from NAS Patuxent River in Maryland, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s primary test and research-and-development center.
To date, a total of nine aircraft have been ordered across two phases: four Engineering Development Models (EDM) and five System Demonstration Test Articles (SDTA) intended for static, fatigue, and flight testing. Earlier, the first demonstrator prototype, T1 with registration number N234MQ, was tested after its maiden flight on September 19, 2019, including operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. Ultimately, the United States Department of Defense plans to procure 76 production aircraft under a program valued at an estimated USD 13 billion.
The aircraft is powered by a Rolls-Royce AE 3007N turbofan engine generating 4,500 kg of thrust. The tanker’s role is to deliver up to 6,350 kg of fuel via hose-and-drogue systems to carrier-based aircraft at distances of up to 926 km from the aircraft carrier. Once equipped with electro-optical sensor turrets, the unmanned aircraft will also be capable of conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions in support of the carrier air wing.
The first squadron of the new aircraft, VUQ-10 (Unmanned Carrier-Launched Multi-Role Squadron 10), was formed between August and October 2020, with the process effectively finalized on October 1, 2022, at Naval Air Station Ventura County in California. The squadron became part of ACCLOGWING (Airborne Command & Control Logistics Wing) and falls under Naval Air Forces Pacific. Two additional squadrons, VUQ-11 and VUQ-12, are planned to follow.
Boeing is currently offering the MQ-25A Stingray on international markets in Australia, France, Japan, and the United Kingdom, with the latter having expressed preliminary interest.
The first operational MQ-25A Stingray™ for the @USNavy has successfully completed its first taxi test.
At the push of a button from Air Vehicle Pilots the Stingray autonomously taxied and executed a series of maneuvers to validate its functionality. pic.twitter.com/bNHGKIYsPa
— Boeing Defense (@BoeingDefense) January 30, 2026
One Step Closer to the Sky – The MQ-25A Stingray™ successfully completed its first low-speed taxi test. Under the control of #VX23, #UX24 pilots monitored the Stingray as it taxied from Boeing’s production facility to the taxiway at MidAmerica St. Louis. Video Courtesy of Boeing pic.twitter.com/0CWjGglOop
— NAVAIR (@NAVAIRNews) January 30, 2026