Look to the skies to see what the U.S. Navy hopes will help carrier air wings and carrier strike groups maximize their air power. The Boeing MQ-25 Stingray is an unmanned aircraft that can act as a flying gas station for the Navy’s F-18s and F-35s. The aircraft can also gather intelligence and has surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
The MQ-25 is the result of years of engineering and testing. Boeing released a video announcing the project in April 2018. In February, less than four years later, Boeing handed over the first Stingray to the Navy for testing. Now, the Stingray is headed to sea for its first test aboard an aircraft carrier.
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“We’re calling this the unmanned carrier aviation demonstration,” Matthew Savage, Boeing UCAD test team lead, said. “To look at how the MQ operates on the flight-deck both from propulsion testing and our human factors evaluation. This is a historic moment for the Navy and for the Boeing Company, because this is the first evaluation of this vehicle’s ability to operate with the fleet. ”
Boeing beat out General Atomic and Lockheed Martin for an $805 million contract for the right to build the Stingray.
Providing all goes as planned, the Navy’s deal includes four more Stingrays for the fleet, with plans to equip all Nimitz-class and Gerald R. Ford-class carriers with the ability to operate MQ-25s.
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[RYAN ROBERTSON]
TIME NOW FOR OUR WEAPON OF THE WEEK, AND FOR THIS ONE WE’RE TURNING OUR EYES TO THE SKIES FOR WHAT COULD BE A BIG PLAYER FOR THE NAVY.
MEET THE MQ-25 STINGRAY. IT’S SLEEK, IT CAN CARRY A LOT OF GAS, AND IT’S UNMANNED. THIS IS WHAT THE NAVY HOPES WILL HELP CARRIER AIR WINGS AND CARRIER STRIKE GROUPS MAXIMIZE THEIR AIR POWER.
BUILT BY BOEING, THE MQ-25 IS THE RESULT OF YEARS OF ENGINEERING AND TESTING. THE PROJECT WAS ANNOUNCED IN APRIL OF 2018, WITH BOEING RELEASING A VIDEO ANNOUNCING THE PROJECT. AS YOU CAN TELL, WHAT WAS IMAGINED, AND WHAT WAS EVENTUALLY BUILT, WERE TWO FAIRLY SIMILAR-LOOKING AIRCRAFT. LESS THAN FOUR YEARS LATER, THE REAL VERSION OF THE STINGRAY HEADED TO SEA FOR IT’S FIRST TEST ABOARD AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER.
[Matthew Savage, Boeing UCAD Test Team Lead]
“We’re calling this the unmanned carrier aviation demonstration. To look at how the MQ operates on the flight-deck both from propulsion testing and our human factors evaluation. This is a historic moment for the Navy, and for the Boeing Company, because this is the first evaluation of this vehicle’s ability to operate with the fleet. ”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
THOSE TESTS MUST HAVE GONE REASONABLY WELL BECAUSE IN FEBRUARY BOEING HANDED OVER THE FIRST STINGRAY TO THE NAVY FOR EVALUATION.
MORE THAN JUST BEING A FLYING GAS STATION FOR THE NAVY’S F-18S AND F-35S, THE MQ-25 IS ALSO EXPECTED TO PLAY A ROLE IN GATHERING INTELLIGENCE, AS WELL AS CONDUCTING SURVEILLANCE AND RECONNAISSANCE MISSIONS.
FOR THE RIGHT TO BUILD THE STINGRAY BOEING BEAT OUT GENERAL ATOMICS AND LOCKHEED MARTIN FOR AN $805 MILLION CONTRACT.
PROVIDING ALL GOES WELL THE NAVY’S DEAL INCLUDES FOUR MORE STINGRAYS FOR THE FLEET WITH PLANS TO EQUIP ALL NIMITZ-CLASS AND GERALD R. FORD-CLASS CARRIERS WITH THE ABILITY TO OPERATE MQ-25s.
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