The good folks over at Boeing just tossed the keys to the first MQ-25 Stingray to the US Navy, and let me tell you, it’s a big deal.
It’s like watching a baton pass in an Olympic relay, except this baton can refuel jets mid-air and do a bit of spying while it’s at it.
This beauty, unveiled on the chilly morning of February 21, isn’t just another drone.
It’s the golden ticket to stretching the legs of our fighters out in the Pacific, where the ocean’s vastness makes a gas station in the sky worth its weight in gold.
MQ-25 Stingray Refueling Drone: A Fleet Among Giants
For those of us who’ve seen our fair share of carriers and the iron birds that call them home, the MQ-25 is a game changer.
It’s set to fly alongside the old guard – the F/A-18 Super Hornets, the Growlers, and the F-35Cs.
This isn’t just adding another deck chair to the flight deck; it’s more like we’ve built a whole new deck.
Boeing’s announcement via X (formerly known as Twitter) was all brass and no fluff, and they’re not just throwing this drone into the wild blue yonder and hoping for the best.
The good folks over at Boeing just tossed the keys to the first MQ-25 Stingray to the US Navy, and let me tell you, it’s a big deal.
It’s like watching a baton pass in an Olympic relay, except this baton can refuel jets mid-air and do a bit of spying while it’s at it.
This beauty, unveiled on the chilly morning of February 21, isn’t just another drone.
It’s the golden ticket to stretching the legs of our fighters out in the Pacific, where the ocean’s vastness makes a gas station in the sky worth its weight in gold.
MQ-25 Stingray Refueling Drone: A Fleet Among Giants
For those of us who’ve seen our fair share of carriers and the iron birds that call them home, the MQ-25 is a game changer.
It’s set to fly alongside the old guard – the F/A-18 Super Hornets, the Growlers, and the F-35Cs.
This isn’t just adding another deck chair to the flight deck; it’s more like we’ve built a whole new deck.
Boeing’s announcement via X (formerly known as Twitter) was all brass and no fluff, and they’re not just throwing this drone into the wild blue yonder and hoping for the best.
It’s going through the wringer – airframe integrity tests that’ll make sure it’s tough enough to handle what we throw at it.
We've delivered the first U.S. Navy MQ-25 Stingray for testing. The unmanned carrier-based refueler will now undergo a rigorous airframe integrity evaluation.
Once this drone graduates from boot camp, it’s going to stretch the operational legs of our air wing in ways we’ve only dreamed of.
A Journey from Concept to Reality
This journey didn’t start yesterday. Boeing snagged the contract back in 2018 with a remarkable $805 million, leaving the competition in the dust.
They’ve been on the gas ever since, racking up additional contracts and setting the stage for a fleet of 76 MQ-25s.
That’s enough to make any adversary sit up and take notice.
The real proof of the pudding was back in 2021 aboard the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77).
That’s when the MQ-25 showed it could tango with the best of them, integrating into carrier ops like it was born to it.
And let’s not forget the sneak peek Boeing gave us last September of the pre-production model. That was just a taste of what was to come.
Sure, we were all hoping to see these birds in the wild by 2025, but good things come to those who wait.
Now, it’s looking like 2026 before we see them in action, but by all accounts, it’ll be worth the wait.
The MQ-25 isn’t just about refueling; it’s about keeping our fighters in the fight longer and farther than ever before. With a 15,000-pound fuel offload capacity at 500 nautical miles, it’s no wonder folks are paying attention.
A New Role for Old Warriors
It’s not just about the fuel, though. These drones are going to take some of the load off our F/A-18E/Fs, letting those pilots focus on what they do best. And let’s not overlook the spying game.
The MQ-25 is going to be a regular James Bond, gathering intel while it refuels.
The Navy’s looking to the future, and it’s a future filled with drones. The MQ-25 is just the beginning.
We’re talking about a shift in the air wing’s makeup that’s going to see more unmanned birds than manned ones in the next decade.
It’s a bold move, but it’s the right one. This program is laying the groundwork for what’s next, including the next-gen F/A-XX fighter.
A New Era in Naval Aviation
So, as Boeing and the Navy work out the kinks and get these drones ready for prime time, it’s clear we’re on the brink of a new era in naval aviation.
The MQ-25 is more than just a refueling drone; it’s the first step into a future where our carriers are more versatile, our fighters more capable, and our reach longer than ever before.
And for those of us who’ve spent a good chunk of our lives on or around those floating fortresses, it’s a sight we can’t wait to see.
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Brandon Webb former Navy SEAL, Bestselling Author and Editor-in-Chief
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