MQ-25 in flight

MQ-25™

Ready for the Mission

Extending the carrier air wing reach

  • Boeing is bringing the future of unmanned aircraft carrier aviation to the U.S. Navy with the MQ-25.
  • An unmanned aircraft system designed for the U.S. Navy mission, it will provide the needed robust refueling capability, thereby extending the combat range of deployed Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, Boeing EA-18G Growler, and Lockheed Martin F-35C fighters.
  • Our aircraft is ready for the mission, the flight deck and the U.S. Navy. Boeing has been delivering carrier aircraft to the Navy for more than 90 years – we know the flight deck.
  • The MQ-25 brings the right combination of refueling, autonomy, and seamless carrier deck integration to meet the U.S. Navy’s goals.
MQ-25 refueling in flight

Ready for the Flight Deck

Delivering unmatched carrier flight deck experience

  • Boeing has been delivering carrier aircraft to the U.S. Navy for more than 90 years. We know carrier operations and can provide seamless integration with existing systems.
  • Boeing’s carrier heritage stretches back to the 1930s Douglas TBD Devastator to today’s latest-generation F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
  • We’ve applied all of that experience to our MQ-25 aircraft, bringing the best Boeing has to offer to the U.S. Navy once again.
  • In 2021 the MQ-25 T1 test asset was successfully integrated into the carrier environment, where a demonstration aboard the USS George H.W. Bush confirmed the functionality, capability and handling qualities of the unmanned aircraft’s deck handling system.
MQ-25 with folded wings on flight deck

Ready for the Navy

Accelerating aerial refueling capabilities

  • The Boeing-owned MQ-25 T1 test asset is a predecessor to the engineering development model aircraft being produced under a 2018 contract award.
  • T1 is being used for early learning and discovery, laying the foundation for moving rapidly into development and test of the MQ-25.
  • Following its first flight in 2019, T1 accumulated approximately 125 hours in the air, helping to accelerate the team's understanding of the aircraft's aerodynamic performance and informing design decisions for both the air vehicle and its software.
  • MQ-25 T1 refueled three carrier-based aircraft – an F/A-18 Super Hornet, E-2D Hawkeye and F-35C Lightning II – and became the first unmanned aircraft in history to refuel another aircraft.
MQ-25 in flight

Industry Team

The MQ-25 Industry Team is all-in on delivering this vital aerial refueling capability to help the U.S. Navy extend the range of the carrier air wing. The industry team includes:

  • Aitech Defense Systems
  • Astronics
  • BAE Systems
  • Collins Aerospace
  • Cox & Company
  • Crane Aerospace & Electronics
  • Cubic
  • Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions
  • GE
  • Harris Corporation
  • Héroux-Devtek
  • Honeywell
  • Innovative Power Solutions
  • L3 Commercial Aviation
  • Moog Aircraft Group
  • Parker Hannifin
  • Raytheon
  • Rolls-Royce
  • Triumph Group
MQ-25 in flight

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