The first prototype deck drone MQ-25A will receive refueling equipment

The Boeing concern suspended flight tests of the first prototype of a promising carrier-based drone- fuel tanker MQ-25A Stingray for installation of refueling equipment on it. It is reported by Flightglobal.

The first flight of the MQ-25A was made in September 2019, and by the time the test was suspended, it managed to fly in total for about 30 hours. According to the plans of the developers, flight tests of the device will be carried out for another year and a half.

In 2018, Boeing won a $ 805 million contract for the construction of the first four copies of the MQ-25A. The basis for the development of the new apparatus was the secret prototype X-47, which was created in the framework of the subsequently canceled project. Initially, the Navy command planned to adopt an unmanned stealth bomber, which could deliver bombing attacks, while remaining invisible to air defense systems. The project was named RAQ-25. In 2016, the U.S. Navy formulated new requirements for a deck-based drone, changing its main purpose. The project was renamed the MQ-25 Stingray and redesigned as an unmanned tanker. At the same time, the military command refused the stealth characteristics of the aircraft, and also removed the ability to carry weapons from the requirements.

On April 2, 2020, the U.S. Navy entered into an additional contract with Boeing for the supply of another 3 drones MQ-25A. All will be used in demonstration and evaluation trials.

The US Navy plans to purchase 72 Stingray units, allocating a total of about 13 billion dollars for their purchase. This will ease the load on the fleet F / A-18F Super Hornet, refueling other aircraft. The Pentagon intends to put into operation the first drone MQ-25A in 2024.

Comments

[Vitaly Tsymbal]

WOW !!!!! I realized that the Americans had long been preparing for self-isolation of the population, and therefore drones were developing ... We again lag behind Putin is to blame - self-insulated us, but did not provide drones !!!

[Insurgent]

The first prototype deck drone MQ-25A will receive refueling equipment

The graphics are of course, but it looks pretty realistic.

And immediately I want to note one drawback (in my opinion), and specifically - one refueling unit, that is, the inability of an unmanned tanker to refuel two aircraft at once ...

[Free wind]

I did not understand in the Boeing article, but in the Lockheed video. Handsome. For a long time the generals spit at us, the Americans are stupid, cowardly, etc. afraid of fighting, until it begins to reach that the life of a soldier is dear.

[knn54]

It is impressive that Boeing (or rather Phantom Works) from an unsuccessful strike-reconnaissance drone was able to "give birth" to a worthy winged tanker, while bypassing "toothy" competitors: General Atomics, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed.

[grandfather_Kostya]

And immediately I want to note one drawback (in my opinion), and specifically, one refueling unit, that is, the inability of an unmanned tanker to refuel two aircraft at once ...

Two aircraft at once in terms of the wingspan of this baby will not fit.

[Insurgent]

Quote: grandfather_Kostya

Two aircraft at once in terms of the wingspan of this baby will not fit.

And it’s elementary to make fuel supply hoses of different lengths, isn’t that an option?

[grandfather_Kostya]

And it’s elementary to make fuel supply hoses of different lengths, isn’t that an option?

The forward engine will create a chatter for the rear. Yes, and it makes no sense, given the small supply of fuel for distribution. Moreover, take-off from the deck in any case takes place in turn, albeit with a minimum delay.

[Artyom1979]

[Insurgent]

Quote: grandfather_Kostya

The forward engine will create a chatter for the rear.

You ALREADY blown the layout in the wind tunnel to make such a statement?

Quote: grandfather_Kostya

it makes no sense, given the small supply of fuel for distribution

Do you know the fuel volumes on the MQ-25A?

Quote: grandfather_Kostya

Moreover, take-off from the deck in any case takes place in turn, albeit with a minimum delay.

This, in general, is babbling ...

[Zhevlonenko]

If it is true that it is made on the basis of the x-47, then its payload is in the region of 2-2,5 tons, the mass of f-16 fuel is 3,5 tons, "You ALREADY blew a model in a wind tunnel to make such a statement" but do not blowing the layout is a known fact.

[grandfather_Kostya]

Have you ALREADY blown a model in a wind tunnel to make such a statement?

Blowing out a mock-up of a glider with a working mock-up of the engine is something new.

Do you know the fuel volumes on the MQ-25A?

From the picture kindly provided by Artyom1979 yesterday at 16:45 the MQ-25A size fits into the average fighter, and therefore the carrying capacity is up to about 10 tons. Minus the pumping mechanism itself. Enough to refuel the link of 4 Hornets.
About "babbling" without comments ...

[APASUS]

Quote: Vitaliy Tsymbal

WOW !!!!! I realized that the Americans had long been preparing for self-isolation of the population, and therefore drones were developing ... We again lag behind Putin is to blame - self-insulated us, but did not provide drones !!!

Can you share the info, what sums our financial top allocated for the purchase of UAVs, for the needs of the Russian Navy. What systems will be purchased and in what quantity?
Here we are for one rejoice for the Navy and Putin!

[Vitaly Tsymbal]

It's not about the "sums of money" .... it's not money and not even military equipment and weapons that are fighting - people are fighting !!! You can create a bunch of drones, many and different, but if it were not for Saddam's soldiers, then our VKS would not be effective in destroying the barmaley !!!! All these super-duper delightful modern US drones (which sofa warriors are so sincerely admired for which I will get a bunch of drawbacks because they simply do not have enough knowledge and experience) could not "defeat" the wild Taliban Yankees !!! Or am I wrong about the US mission in Afghanistan?

[The leader of the Redskins]

The beast is strong. I have long believed that the future of assault aviation lies with drones. And in the case of a successful project, enterprising Americans, for sure, will obsessively "snatch" it to all allies with an aircraft carrier fleet. Similar to f35.

[Vitaly Tsymbal]

What is the strength of that? Tomorrow there will be an effective "antidote" against the "unmanned poison", and again a man with his intuition and ability to act irrationally will be required. Maybe I'm wrong.

[The leader of the Redskins]

Это будет tomorrow. And he flies today. And even tomorrow losses in personnel will be minimized.

[Zhevlonenko]

the fate of his prototype awaits him, it will be possible to talk about the prospects when they put and test the tanks on him, if his carrying capacity is like x-47 2-2,5 tons, then I don’t see much point in such a tanker.

[Avior]

While drones can be used to a limited extent in hostilities and difficulties, they have niche in demand.
The tanker is one of them.
Supersound is not required, and generally high speed and maneuverability,
It is required to stably maintain the course, altitude and speed, which is fully capable of providing automatic control.
The fact that there is no person is smaller in size and better in relation to the payload.

[Thrifty]

Then it’s better to integrate a spray gun into it, let the birds paint in flight, thereby scaring them away from the airfields! The Yankees did an airplane, for which they themselves do not know what task? ??

[Thunderbolt]

Quote: Thrifty
! The Yankees did an airplane, for which they themselves do not know what task? ??

A significant increase in the combat radius of an aircraft carrier wing --- Isn’t this a task /// 1.200 km against the previous 800 ///?

[Vitaly Tsymbal]

Something I have not heard about the real victories of aircraft carrier wings - so "scarecrows" float (they swim, and do not walk as they say among Moremans) and even Kim was not scared, and he, not having super drones, made the USA "scared" ... Or am I wrong again?

[Thunderbolt]

Quote: Vitaly Tsymbal

Something I have not heard about the real victories of carrier wings

In all our small and large wars /// we will take Yugoslavia as a starting point, because. the war of aircraft carriers for maintenance in WWII you will probably call outdated ... they say missiles and electronic warfare have appeared, then and that, but the aviation is not armed with machine guns "Browning" now))) /// the Yankees actively used carrier-based aviation. Yugoslavia won? Iraq won? Or did you complete the task of overthrowing the US regimes?

Quote: Vitaly Tsymbal

and even Kim was not scared, and he, not having super drones, made the US "scared" ...

The "Korean issue" is not being resolved by aircraft carriers. And you should understand this well. But let's consider their neighbor - China! Their Communist Party has announced ambitious goals to become number 2050 in the world by 1. They are powerfully increasing the capabilities of their fleet, developing their aircraft carrier program. Will you say that they are fools, since they are engaged in useless "scarecrows"? But I think that they do not want to leave their destroyer detachments without air cover, without a long and flexible arm.

[Vitaly Tsymbal]

A bit of history:

Gunboat diplomacy was used by the United States in China to suppress a boxing uprising at the beginning of the XNUMXth century, during which control over Chinese rivers was exercised by American and English gunboats, as well as in Latin America.
According to the definition of William Safire - "the iron fist of the threat of force in the velvet glove of diplomatic relations." This expression is now associated with any practice of using naval forces for foreign policy purposes. Nowadays, the synonymous expression “aircraft carrier diplomacy” has appeared

China knows history and remembers .... China needs air carriers "groups" to protect sea trade routes. The United States openly shows who is the boss on the sea trade routes, China does not like this and it already snaps (the conflict zone in the South China Sea is an example). History also shows an example of the Arab-Israeli wars, when the Americans, while supporting Israel, did not dare to use their aircraft carriers against the enemy behind which the USSR stood.
And today, all these American aircraft carrier naval forces are needed only for the implementation of the DIPLOMACY OF CANONER !!! Speaking of North Korea - the war of the 50s Kimov taught that you need to be able to withstand not only aviation but also aircraft carriers, so they have such means ... The truth is that little is known ...
Yugoslavia and Iraq - not aircraft carriers won there, traitors won there !!!!

[Zhevlonenko]

one tanker for 1 plane? Great benefit

[Doccor18]

Good news for them, disturbing for us. Unpleasant to see a swarm of UAVs somewhere km. for 2000 from an aircraft carrier.

[Vitaly Tsymbal]

Here I am sitting in self-isolation in Stavropol and trembling - suddenly, instead of a coronovirus, a swarm of American drones fly to me and my blossoming apricots, destroy the plums I honestly say live and did not see the aircraft carrier (and you saw live and how it fights?), And from the body of the production about horror films I never even worried))))

[voyaka uh]

The X-47 was not exactly a Boeing - Northrop Gruman.
He successfully passed the entire test cycle on an aircraft carrier.
But the Navy was not psychologically ready for drones.
This is a new logistics, and they already had many new products at the same time: F-35C, electric catapults.
Now ripe.

[Oleg83]

Quote: voyaka uh

The X-47 was not exactly a Boeing - Northrop Gruman.
He successfully passed the entire test cycle on an aircraft carrier.
But the Navy was not psychologically ready for drones.
This is a new logistics, and they already had many new products at the same time: F-35C, electric catapults.
Now ripe.

Officially, the fleet abandoned the X-47 due to the small mass of the combat load - 2 tons. Then one US admiral wrote that the fleet needs an attack drone the size of an F14 and a payload of at least 5-6 tons