MQ-25 Stingray Flies for First Time, Paving Way for Carrier-Based Refueling

The U.S. Navy’s production-representative MQ-25 Stingray completed its first flight on April 25, 2026 at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, moving from ground testing to flight testing and setting up an IOC target of FY2027. Designed to perform carrier-based aerial refueling (delivering about 14,000–16,000 lb of fuel over 500 nm) and potentially ISR tasks, the program plans nine aircraft for testing and fielding. Boeing has opened a dedicated production facility to support LRIP, while the program continues to address schedule slips and cost considerations as it advances toward integrating unmanned aircraft into the carrier air wing.