The American MQ-25 drone has demonstrated its readiness to fulfill its main task – to refuel aircraft in the air.
For the first time in history, the US Navy and Boeing have demonstrated aerial refueling using an unmanned aerial vehicle.
“During a test flight on June 4, the MQ-25 drone successfully refueled a US Navy F / A-18 Super Hornet, demonstrating its ability to perform its primary air refueling mission,” Boeing said in a statement.
“This historic event is a shared merit of the joint Boeing / Navy team, which is doing everything possible to provide the fleet with critical refueling capabilities for the MQ-25,” said Boeing Defense President and Chief Executive Officer Lynn Caret. drone flights, testing aircraft aerodynamics and refueling equipment across the entire flight range, and simulating mid-air refueling using digital MQ-25 models.
The MQ-25 Stingray program aims to develop unmanned capabilities for landing on aircraft carriers as part of a carrier-based aircraft wing, performing mid-air refueling as a primary mission, and providing some surveillance, reconnaissance, and information gathering capabilities as a secondary mission.