Boeing and the U.S. Navy completed the first test flight of an operational MQ-25A Stingray unmanned aircraft on April 25, 2026, at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois.
The two-hour mission began with takeoff at 10:49 a.m. CDT. Navy and Boeing air vehicle pilots operated the aircraft from the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System MD-5 ground control station, which incorporates Lockheed Martin’s MDCX system. The Stingray autonomously taxied, took off, flew, landed, and responded to commands while executing a predetermined mission plan. Tests validated flight controls, navigation, engine performance, and handling characteristics, along with integration with the ground control system.
Designed as the Navy’s first carrier-based unmanned aerial refueling tanker, the MQ-25A will take over refueling duties from F/A-18 Super Hornets, freeing crewed fighters for combat and extending carrier strike group range. It can carry up to 15,000 pounds of fuel and also supports surveillance and intelligence roles.
Rear Adm. Tony Rossi, head of the Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons, described the flight as the first step in integrating unmanned refueling on carriers, enabling manned fighters to fly farther and faster. Capt. Daniel Fucito, Unmanned Carrier Aviation Program Manager, noted it initiates a rigorous flight test program to expand the aircraft’s performance envelope.
Additional tests will occur in Illinois before a ferry flight to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, for carrier qualifications. This production-representative aircraft follows the MQ-25 T1 demonstrator, which first flew in 2019 and demonstrated refueling with an F/A-18 Super Hornet, E-2D Hawkeye, and F-35C.