How many aircraft can the MQ-25 refuel?
The Navy’s goal for the aircraft is to be able to deliver 15,000 lb (6,800 kg) of fuel total to 4 to 6 airplanes at a range of 500 nmi (580 mi; 930 km). The Navy released the final MQ-25 Stingray request for proposals in October 2017 to Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and General Atomics.
Does the Navy have refueling planes?
The U.S. Navy’s new unmanned tanker aircraft just completed its first aerial refueling of a manned fighter jet, the service said Monday. “MQ-25 will greatly increase the range and endurance of the future carrier air wing — equipping our aircraft carriers with additional assets well into the future.”
How many MQ-25 will be built?
In April 2020, Boeing received an $84.7m contract modification from the US Navy for three additional MQ-25 UAVs, bringing the total number of orders to seven.
Who makes the MQ-25 drone?
Boeing
Get the Latest from Boeing ST. LOUIS, June 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — For the first time in history, the U.S. Navy and Boeing [NYSE: BA] have demonstrated air-to-air refueling using an unmanned aircraft – the Boeing-owned MQ-25™ T1 test asset – to refuel another aircraft.
Does Boeing make drones?
Chicago-based aerospace giant Boeing has announced plans to build a new type of drone military aircraft in Australia. Sept. 23, 2021, at 9:35 a.m. It’s the first military combat aircraft to be designed and manufactured in Australia in half a century. …
How much fuel does an f18 hold?
To meet Navy range and reserves requirements, McDonnell increased fuel capacity by 4,460 pounds (2,020 kg), by enlarging the dorsal spine and adding a 96-gallon fuel tank to each wing.
How difficult is aerial refueling?
Although some veteran pilots may be accustomed to the practice, it’s never routine or easy. Aerial refueling remains one of the most difficult maneuvers in aviation. Indeed, it has been key to the success of many U.S. military operations.
How long can a plane stay in the air with refueling?
It’s a somewhat clearer answer if we take refueling out of the picture. Flugzeuginfo.net notes that the range of a Boeing 747-200 is 12,700km – equating to a maximum of 14 hours of flight at cruising speed.
Does Boeing have drones?
Boeing won an $805.3 million contract in 2018 to design, build and deliver the first four Stingray drones, with 45% of the work occurring in St. Louis, the U.S. Department of Defense said at the time.
What kind of drone is used for aerial refueling?
In a first, Boeing and the US Navy conducted a test flight of an MQ-25 aerial refueling drone prototype with an aerial refueling store at their Illinois MidAmerica Airport test site last week. The test asset flew for 2.5 hours with the Cobham refueling pod system, which the Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornets carry when acting as carrier-based tankers.
Who are the Navy pilots for aerial refueling?
Days before the recent experiment, four Navy air vehicle operators from VX-23, the Navy’s developmental test squadron, and VX-1, the operational test squadron, attended a three-day training simulation at Boeing’s St. Louis facility. There they learned to pilot the UAV from takeoff to landing while inside the ground control station.
What kind of drone is the Boeing stingray?
(September 2019) The Boeing MQ-25 Stingray is an aerial refueling drone that resulted from the Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System (CBARS) program, which grew out of the earlier Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program.
Which is the first drone in the Navy?
The prototype is being used to develop the MQ-25 Stingray, a refueling tanker drone the Navy says will be the world’s first aircraft carrier-based UAV. But it’s so advanced the Navy doesn’t yet have pilots who can fly it.