US carrier-based aircraft refueling drone starts ground taxi trials

The US Navy and Boeing have commenced ground taxi tests for the first operational MQ-25 Stingray, the world’s first carrier-based uncrewed aerial refueling drone. These initial self-powered taxi trials, conducted at Boeing’s MidAmerica facility in St. Louis on January 29, mark a significant milestone toward upcoming flight tests and operational deployment planned for later this year. Although the Navy originally scheduled these ground tests for late 2025, delays have pushed the timeline forward, bringing the MQ-25 closer to its first operational flight. Notably, a test version of the MQ-25, known as T1, previously achieved a historic milestone in July 2021 by performing the first-ever in-flight refueling by an unmanned drone. The MQ-25 program, influenced by Boeing’s earlier submission to the Navy’s UCLASS program emphasizing stealth and ISR capabilities, has faced significant delays and cost overruns. Initially, the Navy aimed to deliver the first pre-production batch of nine Stingray aircraft