UCLASS

MQ-25A Stingray IOC Pushed to 2026 Following Manufacturing Delays

Sailor repositions a Boeing unmanned MQ-25 aircraft on the flight deck aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77). US Navy Photo

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – Production delays to manufacture Boeing’s MQ-25A Stingray pushed its initial operational capability by a year, the head program executive in charge of Navy unmanned aerial systems said Monday.

The MQ-25A Stingray, the first major unmanned aerial vehicle to deploy on U.S. aircraft carriers, will serve as an aerial refueling tanker on...

https://news.usni.org/2023/04/04/mq-25a-stingray-ioc-pushed-to-2026-following-manufacturing-delays

Report to Congress on Current, Future Unmanned Aircraft Systems

The following is the July 28, 2022, Congressional Research Service report, Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Current and Potential Programs.

From the report

Since the dawn of military aviation, the U.S. military has been interested in remotely piloted aircraft. Present-day unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) typically consist of an unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) paired with a ground control station. UAS have become ubiquitous in U.S. military operations since the 1990s with the introduction of the MQ-1...

https://news.usni.org/2022/08/02/report-to-congress-on-current-future-unmanned-aircraft-systems

Report to Congress on the Future of Unmanned Aircraft

The following is the July 18, 2022 Congressional Research Service report, Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Roles, Missions, and Future Concepts.

From the report

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) have gained increased prominence in U.S. military operations. The Department of Defense (DOD) is currently developing advanced UAS, along with optionally crewed aircraft, as part of its modernization strategy. The roles and missions of UAS are relevant to Congress in authorizing, appropriating, and providing...

https://news.usni.org/2022/07/19/report-to-congress-on-the-future-of-unmanned-aircraft

Several UAVs Under Development for Next-Generation Carrier Air Wing

An MQ-25 test asset, known as T1, conducts its first aerial refueling test flight with an F-35C Lightning II Sept. 13, 2021 near MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois. Boeing Photo

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Several new unmanned aerial vehicles are under development as part of the Navy’s air wing of the future concept in addition to the unmanned aerial tanker set to deploy in 2026, Navy officials said on Wednesday.

The new aircraft are being designed to meet growing requirements for range for...

https://news.usni.org/2022/07/13/several-uavs-under-development-for-next-generation-carrier-air-wing

Navy On Track to Deploy MQ-25A Carrier Tanker in 2026 on USS Theodore Roosevelt

A Boeing unmanned MQ-25A aircraft is given operating directions on the flight deck aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) on Dec. 13, 2021 in the Atlantic Ocean. U.S. Navy Photo

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – The Navy’s MQ-25A Stingray unmanned aerial refueling is set to deploy on an aircraft carrier in 2026, a service official said on Tuesday.

Vice Adm. Kevin Whitesell told a panel at the Sea Air Space 2022 symposium that the service was on track to reach initial operational...

https://news.usni.org/2022/04/06/navy-on-track-to-deploy-mq-25a-carrier-tanker-in-2026-on-uss-theodore-roosevelt

VIDEO: Navy Wraps Up MQ-25A Deck Handling Tests on Carrier USS George H.W. Bush

A Boeing unmanned MQ-25 aircraft is given operating directions on the flight deck aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) on Dec. 13, 2021 in the Atlantic Ocean. U.S. Navy Photo

The prototype for the Navy’s unmanned refueling tanker has wrapped up deck handling tests aboard an aircraft carrier off the East Coast

The service performed tests of the T-1 prototype aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) to assess how the aircraft functioned aboard the flight deck in winds of more than...

https://news.usni.org/2021/12/22/video-navy-wraps-up-mq-25a-deck-handling-tests-on-carrier-uss-george-h-w-bush

MQ-25A Unmanned Prototype Now on Carrier George H.W. Bush for At-Sea Testing

MQ-25A being lifted aboard carrier USS George H.W. BUsh (CVN-77) on Nov 30, 2021. US Navy Photo

THE PENTAGON – The prototype for the Navy’s unmanned refueling tanker is now aboard a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier ahead of at-sea testing.

Rear Adm. Andrew Loiselle, who leads the chief of naval operation’s air warfare directorate (OPNAV N98), told USNI News in a recent interview that as of Tuesday, the T-1 prototype is aboard USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77) for the ship’s carrier qualifications.

The...

https://news.usni.org/2021/12/02/mq-25a-unmanned-prototype-now-on-carrier-george-h-w-bush-for-at-sea-testing

MQ-25A Refuels F-35C Joint Strike Fighter Over Illinois

An MQ-25 test asset, known as T1, conducts its first aerial refueling test flight with an F-35C Lightning II Sept. 13, 2021 near MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois. Boeing Photo

The Boeing prototype MQ-25A T1 unmanned carrier tanker refueled an F-35C Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter as part of early testing for the program, Naval Air Systems Command announced on Tuesday.

The F-35C, assigned to the “Salty Dogs” of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, and the MQ-25 flew from...

https://news.usni.org/2021/09/14/mq-25a-refuels-f-35c-joint-strike-fighter-over-illinois

Boeing MQ-25 Prototype Refuels E-2D Advanced Hawkeye

MQ-25 Stingray T1 test asset refuels an E-2D aircraft Aug. 18, 2021, at MidAmerica Airport in Illinois. Boeing Photo

Boeing’s prototype for the Navy’s first unmanned aerial tanker successfully refueled its second aircraft type in a test over Illinois, the service announced on Thursday.

The MQ-25 T1 prototype topped off an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye flown by the in a series of test flights from MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah, Ill., just outside of St. Louis.

“During the six-hour flight, Navy E-2D...

https://news.usni.org/2021/08/19/boeing-mq-25-prototype-refuels-e-2d-advanced-hawkeye

Navy Weighing How to Include More Capabilities on MQ-25A Beyond Tanking

The MQ-25 T1 test asset refuels the Navy F/A-18 during a flight June 4 at MidAmerica Airport in Illinois. Boeing Photo

Lawmakers are asking the Navy to start adding capabilities to the emerging MQ-25A Stingray unmanned carrier tankers that are set to join the fleet in the next few years, service officials said.

While lawmakers have pushed the service to slow down their planned unmanned surface vessels with a series of land-based testing sites, the opposite is true for unmanned aviation, deputy...

https://news.usni.org/2021/06/15/navy-weighing-how-to-include-more-capabilities-on-mq-25a-beyond-tanking

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