Boeing said Monday it and the United States Navy had completed the first test flight of an operational MQ-25A Stingray, marking a significant step toward deploying the autonomous aircraft aboard U.S. aircraft carriers.

In a press release issued Monday, Boeing said the unmanned aircraft carried out a two-hour flight from MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Illinois, autonomously taxiing, taking off, flying a pre-planned mission, landing, and responding to commands from a ground control station. The company said the test validated flight controls, navigation systems, and integration with mission control systems for carrier aviation.

Boeing described the flight as a milestone for a program designed to bring autonomous aerial refueling capability to the U.S. Navy’s carrier air wing. The MQ-25A is intended to extend the operational range of carrier-based aircraft, including the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, by taking over tanker missions currently performed by manned fighters.

“Today’s successful flight builds on years of learning from our MQ-25A T1 prototype,” Boeing Air Dominance Vice President Dan Gillian said in the statement, calling the system the most complex autonomous platform developed for carrier operations.

Rear Admiral Tony Rossi said the test marked a critical step toward expanding the reach and strike capability of the fleet through carrier-based unmanned refueling.

Observers have closely watched the MQ-25A program as a potential gateway for broader integration of unmanned aircraft into naval operations and so-called manned-unmanned teaming. Boeing said the aircraft that flew Monday is the first of four engineering development models to be delivered under an $805 million development contract awarded by the Navy.

Analysts say the program could reshape future carrier operations by increasing combat radius while reducing the burden on fighter aircraft currently assigned to refueling missions. The test also comes as the Pentagon seeks greater use of autonomous systems in response to evolving security challenges.

Boeing and the Navy said additional test flights will be conducted in Illinois before the aircraft moves to Naval Air Station Patuxent River for further evaluations and preparations for carrier qualification trials, a key step before the drone can enter operational service.

Source: Boeing PR