Advanced Unmanned Tanker to Operate from Aircraft Carrier

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Boeing has begun testing a prototype of its UAV that is competing for a U.S. Navy contract for an unmanned carrier-based refueling tanker. Within the framework of the program, called MQ-25 Stingray, the Navy is looking for an unmanned tanker that can operate from an aircraft carrier and pass fuel to other carrier-based jets, such as the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the F-35C, greatly extending the operational range of Navy carrier flights.

The Stingray program was conceived originally as a stealthy drone capable of multiple missions and has been gradually winnowed to a refueling tanker, according to 247wallst.com. An additional contract requirement is that the drone tanker uses existing aerial refueling systems to cut down on project development time, cost and risk.

Competing against Boeing are Lockheed Martin, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, and Northrop Grumman.

Boeing claims that the threshold requirement for the unmanned tanker is offloading 14,000 pounds of fuel to an aircraft flying 500 nautical miles from the carrier. The Navy currently uses manned strike aircraft that have been modified to serve as refueling planes. The drone is not a stealth-capable vehicle, and the contract does not include any survivability requirements.

The drone has not yet flown, but Boeing expects to have the UAV in the air before the contract award date.