At a time when American aircraft carriers have played an important role in bombing missions on targets in Iran and monitoring the waters near the Strait of Hormuz, the US arms industry may be beginning a new era in war strategy. This week, Boeing Defense and the US Navy conducted the first official test of a drone aircraft that will be used to fuel jets in the air.
The MQ-25A Stingray was announced as the first operational shipborne unmanned aircraft system. When it is incorporated into the regular fleet (by the end of the decade), it is expected that it will be able to extend the range of manned aircraft.
The drone can carry up to 15,000 pounds of fuel and this ability to extend the range of aircraft carriers and fighters becomes crucial at a time when there is a growing production of anti-ship missiles in the world, especially by China.
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Today, this aerial supply work is carried out by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the Navy’s expectation is that the progressive replacement by the new drone will not only help to expand the aircraft’s operational range, but should also free up the Super Hornets for combat and surveillance roles. 20 to 30 percent of Super Hornet missions were in support of the tanker mission, according to USNI News.
Tony Rossi, chief of the Navy’s executive office for programs for unmanned aviation and strike weapons, said in a statement that the MQ-25A is not just an aircraft, but “the first step in integrating unmanned aerial refueling on the carrier deck, directly enabling our manned fighters to fly farther and faster. This capability is vital to the future of naval aviation.”
According to data from the media specializing in military contracts in the US, Boeing won a US$805 million contract in 2018 to build the first four Stingrays, in a competition with General Atomics and Lockheed Martin. The Navy included a $220.4 million budget for three aircraft in fiscal 2024, with a planned acquisition of 22 aircraft by 2028.
