On February 21, 2024, Boeing Defense announced on its Twitter account that it had delivered the first MQ-25 Stingray drone to the U.S. Navy. Designed for carrier-based aerial refueling, the drone now enters a phase of airframe integrity testing. The MQ-25 Stingray represents the world's first operational, carrier-based unmanned aircraft, equipped with aerial refueling and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities aimed at enhancing the capabilities and versatility of the Carrier Air Wing (CVW) and Carrier Strike Group (CSG).
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Boeing MQ-25 Stingray carrier-based aerial refueling drone (Picture source: US DoD)

Airframe integrity tests, or aircraft structural tests, are a crucial phase in the development and certification process of any aircraft, including Boeing's MQ-25 Stingray. These tests aim to verify the strength, durability, and reliability of the aircraft's structure under various stresses it might encounter during operation.

The MQ-25 system comprises two major segments: The MQ-25 Air System (air vehicle) and the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System (UMCS), necessary for carrier integration and control of the MQ-25 air vehicle and its payload. PMA-268, serving as the government's Lead Systems Integrator (LSI), oversees these segments.

Currently in the flight test phase, the MQ-25 leverages data from the T1 prototype testing to expedite the development of its major systems and software. The Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract was awarded to Boeing in August 2018, covering the design, development, manufacturing, testing, delivery, and support of four MQ-25A Engineering Development Models (EDMs). These aircraft will undergo testing in St. Louis, Missouri, before moving to NAS Patuxent River for the remainder of the flight test program, with additional testing planned at Lakehurst, New Jersey, and Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

The MQ-25 is powered by a Rolls-Royce AE 3007N turbofan engine, providing 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) of thrust, and features a less stealthy design than flying wing UAVs but includes stealthy fuselage shaping and an inlet designed to shield engine blades from radar, with a V-tail. The drone is capable of delivering approximately 15,000 pounds of fuel at 500 nautical miles from the carrier, potentially nearly doubling the operational range of the air wing's strike fighters.

This delivery marks a significant milestone in the integration of unmanned operational capabilities into the naval fleet, aligning with the Navy's Unmanned Campaign Framework strategy for the future of carrier-based unmanned systems and the manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) operational concept.