US Navy places first production order for Boeing MQ-25A Stingray

The US Navy has signed its first production contract for the Boeing MQ-25A Stingray, an uncrewed aircraft built to refuel carrier air wings in flight. The award covers three aircraft in the programme's first low-rate initial production lot, the service said.

A routine government notification put the contract value at $552m. That funding also pays for long-lead items tied to three further aircraft in a second low-rate lot.

Captain Daniel Fucito, who manages the Navy's Unmanned Carrier Aviation programme, said the award marks the point where the effort moves from development into operational service.

The aircraft is to take over the aerial refuelling mission from the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Offloading that task to an uncrewed platform is meant to free Super Hornets for other missions and cut the flight hours they spend on support work.

Boeing is building seven test aircraft at a site in Mascoutah, Illinois. The programme of record stands at 76 aircraft, covering four engineering development and manufacturing airframes and five system demonstration test airframes.

Troy Rutherford, Boeing's vice president for the MQ-25 programme, said the milestone reflected efforts to expand what autonomous systems can do. He said the company was focused on steady execution of the production system.