MQ-25 Stingray
The Boeing MQ-25 Stingray is the world's first carrier-based unmanned aerial refueling tanker: born from the US Navy CBARS program, it extends the range of F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-35C Lightning II fighters operating from Nimitz- and Ford-class carriers.
MQ-25 Stingray
The Boeing MQ-25 Stingray is the world's first carrier-based unmanned aerial refueling tanker: born from the US Navy CBARS program, it extends the range of F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-35C Lightning II fighters operating from Nimitz- and Ford-class carriers.
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- Reliability
- Unverified
- Sources
- Sources pending review
Identity
- Designation
- MQ-25 Stingray
- Alias
- Boeing T1 / Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System (CBARS)
- Manufacturer
- Boeing Phantom Works
- Country
- United States
- Year
- 2024
- Category
- ISR (Reconnaissance)
- Class
- Tactical (< 600 kg)
- Status
- In sviluppo
Performance
- Range
- 930 km
- Endurance
- Mission tanker ~6 h
- Top speed
- Subsonico (~830 km/h)
- Service ceiling
- 12,000 m
- Propulsion
- Turbofan Rolls-Royce AE 3007N
Physical characteristics
- MTOW
- 20865 kg
- Payload
- 6800 kg
- Weapons
- Nessuna: 6.800 kg di carburante per rifornimento aereo F/A-18 e F-35C
Onboard systems
- Sensors
- EO/IR e datalink Link 16/MADL
- Datalink / control
- SATCOM + LOS, integrazione CVN-class con CATCC
- Launch
- Catapulta EMALS dalla portaerei
- Recovery
- Cavi d'arresto su ponte di volo
Combat use
- ▸World-first UAV-to-manned air-to-air refueling (June 2021) — F/A-18F Super Hornet
- ▸Tests on E-2D Hawkeye (August 2021) and F-35C Lightning II (September 2021)
- ▸Operational integration on USS George H.W. Bush (December 2021) — first deck-handling trials
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History
Selected in 2018 over Lockheed Martin and General Atomics, Boeing's T1 performed the first air-to-air refueling of a manned fighter (F/A-18) in June 2021, a historic milestone.
In 2021 it also refueled an E-2D Hawkeye and in 2022 an F-35C: the US Navy plans 76 operational aircraft by the end of the decade, freeing Super Hornets from the buddy-tanker role.
On the development side, the Boeing MQ-25 Stingray is the first carrier-based drone tanker in history: born from the UCLASS program (later converted into CBARS), it won the USN contract in 2018, beating Lockheed Martin and General Atomics proposals.
On the air-naval warfare front, the MQ-25 extends the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-35C Lightning II combat radius by over 700 nm, significantly expanding the stand-off range of Nimitz- and Ford-class carriers in Pacific A2/AD scenarios.
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