American carrier-based drone MQ-25 Stingray refueled F-35C fighter

The US Navy continues testing the MQ-25 Stingray carrier-based unmanned tanker. The next stage was the air refueling of the fifth generation F-35C fighter from the US Navy. This is reported by the command fleet.

The tests took place on September 13, the MQ-25 Stingray drone was in the air for about 3 hours. During the tests, the F-35C carrier-based fighter approached drone and joined the boom, after which the ground operator gave the command to transfer fuel. Refueling took place at an altitude of more than 3 thousand meters and a speed of 225 knots.

The US Navy Command recognized the tests as successful. Earlier, the drone transferred fuel to the F / A-18 Hornet fighter and refueled the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye early warning aircraft.

Developing the #AirWingoftheFuture

The #USNavy completed the first aerial refueling of an # F35C Lightning II by the Boeing MQ-25, a broader initiative to field unmanned systems to enhance capability, capacity and lethality. #FlyNavy # MQ25

DETAILS: https://t.co/WG0A8CnWaj pic.twitter.com/K692RT8DlR

- US Navy (@USNavy) September 14, 2021

According to the Boeing concern, the tests of the MQ-25 Stingray will last for several more months, during which it will be tested in different modes, as well as take off and landing on an aircraft carrier. Next year it is planned to start production, and the first drone MQ-25A the Pentagon intends to enter into service in 2024.

In total, the US Navy plans to purchase 72 Stingray units, allocating a total of about $ 13 billion for their purchase. This will ease the burden on the F / A-18F Super Hornet fleet that refuel other aircraft.

Comments

[Nexcom]

Duc in the photo is the "penguin" refueling (or has already refueled), and not the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye?

[Agent cooper]

It is quite a disaster, the f-35 cannot be distinguished from the f-22.

[Nexcom]

Yes, I don’t care, for me both are "penguins". the main thing is that it is not E2D as stated in the article.

[For example]

I don’t understand why this circus?
This UAV can refuel one aircraft.
This UAV must take off from an aircraft carrier, refuel the aircraft and land.
The number of takeoffs and landings from an aircraft carrier remains unchanged.

The only purpose of this attraction is to increase the flight range of a combat unit.

This procedure is relevant for a reconnaissance aircraft. For single, spot applications. What the regular Hornet could handle before.

But in order for a group of planes to fly far, a group of UAVs must be sent for refueling.

In general, this is just a circus where tricks are demonstrated - and our tanker flies without a pilot! Can you do that?

I think so. wink

ps
Su-33 flies farther without refueling than a Penguin fueled by a UAV.
Fuck goat button accordion?

[voyaka uh]

"The only purpose of this attraction is to increase the flight range of a combat unit." ///
---
Yes. Twice.
And it doesn’t require twice as many pilots as before.

[DymOk_v_dYmke]

Quote: voyaka uh

Yes. Twice.
And it doesn’t require twice as many pilots as before.

Isn't it easier / more profitable to load an external disposable tank?

[For example]

Buy Su planes.
They fly further with one pilot.
No second pilots or tankers will be required.

Great, of course, but the owner won't let you.

[voyaka uh]

If the Su- were stealth ...
You can see them too far away.

[For example]

Can the Su-57 be seen from afar?

If you need to spoil it.

[fa2998]

If you read the comments of the hurray-patriots, you won't pull it on your head! Take our long-range Su-33, you can see it far away, take our deck-based Su-57 (which is not), you can load TB.
In general, we can congratulate the Americans - they received a useful device. It saves the resource of combat aircraft and pilots.

[Barberry25]

this is not a circus, it drank some dough ... Boeing once won a tender for the development of a ship-based strike stealth UAV, but in the end it turned out that a lot of equipment would not fit there, and then it turned out that he would not be able to independently perform combat missions behind the front line yes the combat load is also ridiculous, so in the end, after long claims from the naval and large suitcases of money, the tankers appointed him ... because a lot of money was spent and you need to fight off investments ..

[Avior]

First, a group of tankers takes off, then the drums. Refueling occurs at a safe distance from the target. The drums can be met by another group of tankers.

our tanker flies without a pilot

Now Superhornets are used as refuellers. UAVs are smaller, cheaper and saves on the resource of combat aircraft

[zlinn]

Su-33 flies farther without refueling than a Penguin fueled by a UAV.
Fuck goat button accordion?

The Su-33 has the same range as the F-35S, namely 2200 km along a mixed profile without a tank and refueling, so you turned it down

[Nexcom]

Su-33 flies farther without refueling than a Penguin fueled by a UAV.
Fuck goat button accordion?

in order to show how everything is modern and glamorous with them - UAVs are used more and more deeper,
and our type is still slurping cabbage soup with bast shoes.

Well, they sawed money on the development of this refueling tanker.

[Hypertension]

Quote: Nexcom

the main thing is that it is not E2D as stated in the article.

The main thing is that in the article in Russian and white:

Ранее The drone transferred fuel to the F / A-18 Hornet fighter and refueled the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye early warning aircraft.

In the photo he is fueled by F-35, and earlier (before that) he fueled other aircraft.

[knn54]

-after that the ground operator gave the command to transfer the fuel.
In the future, refueling will take place without an operator.
Another interesting thing is that the "birth" of MARINE unmanned aircraft is taking place.

[OgnennyiKotik]

He refueled all the planes that can be on AB.



Further landing and takeoff from AB. This has already been worked out on the X-47B, there shouldn't be any problems.

[Nexcom]

here on the second video E2D is.

[Aaron Zawi]

In general, the F-35 program is developing no less successfully than the F-16.

The number of the fifth generation F-35 Lightning II fighters of all variants delivered to customers exceeded 690 units. The number of these aircraft around the world was revealed at the 27th international exhibition MSPO 2021 by the American corporation Lockheed Martin, writes Defense24.
In total, the planes were in the air for 430 thousand hours. More than 1460 pilots and over 11 thousand units of ground support personnel of fighters were trained. In total, 35 countries were the customers of the F-14 Lightning II.
Lockheed Martin said the F-35 Lightning II's operating costs have dropped by 40 percent over the past five years. A further 40 percent reduction is planned for the next five years.
Earlier in September, in a presentation by the American corporation Lockheed Martin, presented at the 27th international exhibition MSPO 2021, it was said that in the current century, it is planned to deploy 13 permanent air bases in Europe with 450 fifth generation F-35 Lightning II fighters. According to the map shown on the corresponding slide, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Norway, Belgium and Poland will each have two air bases with such fighters, while Denmark will have one. Four of the 13 facilities have already been commissioned. The dates for the start of full-fledged operation of the other eight air bases have been set. The final decision on the 13th object (near the Polish city of Svidvin) has not yet been made.

[OgnennyiKotik]

Quote: Aron Zaavi

The number of these aircraft around the world was revealed at the 27th international exhibition MSPO 2021 by the American corporation Lockheed Martin

This is how they publish data on this site at the beginning of each month:
https://www.f35.com/f35/about/fast-facts.html

There is a presentation with even more details.

[Flooding]

As I understand it, the Americans measure the speed of naval aviation by knots (naval)?

[dmmyak40]

So now the civil aviation measures the speed in knots.

[Flooding]

Quote: dmmyak40

So now the civil aviation measures the speed in knots.

nautical miles per hour?

[dauria]

measure by knots

Yes, but the height is in feet. In all aviation. Savages, what to take ...
Knots - miles are really handy. One minute of arc in a large arc. 60 miles meridian - 1 degree latitude. ...

[teptyar]

And in our drilling, and indeed in the oil industry, everything is in inches ..

[rocket757]

American carrier-based drone MQ-25 Stingray refueled F-35C fighter

... A real way to increase range and bomb load.

[Agent cooper]

Yes, with these UAVs, the United States will have a good tool with the ability to refuel aircraft taking off from aircraft carriers.

[Barberry25]

and what prevents the use of conventional fighters with suspension systems?

[Alex_You]

The resource of the fighter, the "resource" of the pilot. If necessary, this one can hang in the air for hours, give all the fuel to the plane and safely fall.

[OgnennyiKotik]

In addition to the resource, there is a moment of visibility of the group. The superhornet will unmask the F-35. Plus, the FA-18EFs themselves will be replaced by the FA-XX in the 30s. Accordingly, to spend the resource of generation 5/6 fighters for refueling, the idea is even worse than 4ok.
Based on the experience of operating the MQ-25, shock UAVs will be developed. And it's not a big problem to convert this into a drummer.

[Barberry25]

well, this will already be game .. And yes, if you carefully follow the history of the mq-25, you can see that the role of a tanker is from hopelessness, in order to at least attach a frankly unsuccessful UAV somewhere, because it is the size of an F-18, and armament takes a couple of bombs inside itself.

[OgnennyiKotik]

How stupid can you be? And write about it 3 times more.
Here is the X-47B, the analogue of which is the C-70 Hunter. It was produced by Northrop Grumman. It was created within research project, to assess the possibility of creating shock UAVs for AB.

Here is the MQ-25 that the American Hunter lost. It is produced by Boeing.

There is nothing in common between them. Completely parallel development. And yes, the finished X-47B lost to a paper project from Boeing.
And the fact that the flying wing scheme has too many disadvantages and is only suitable for long-range reconnaissance and bombers, I agree.

[Barberry25]

only mk-25 was originally indicated exactly as an air defense breakthrough vehicle ... and in fact had the same problems as the 47th ... Elda is healthy, and the combat capabilities are much more modest than that of other deck ships, so the Boeings stretched out something like their own UAV to the tankers .. but the problem remains the same - it will take the place of the usual f-18 or f-35 .. the only excuse that the combat radius of fighters increases in theory, but this is so-so ..

[OgnennyiKotik]

Small, look at the pictures.
X-47B - really created according to the UCAS-D program - the demonstrator unmanned aerial combat systems
MQ-25 - originally created under the CBARS - Carrier-Based Air Refueling System. He has nothing to do with drone UAVs.
These programs are parallel. Northrop Grumman with the X-47B participated in the competition for the MQ-25, but lost the competition to the Boeing project. Which by the way also had its own flying wing Phantom Ray and he also participated in the competition. But they all succumbed to what was created with zero Boeing MQ-25 Stingray.

[Barberry25]

therefore, the initial purpose of the 25th was mentioned everywhere as a drummer ... then a reconnaissance-shock and only then as a refueller ..

[prior]

During refueling of the F-35C from the MQ-25 Stingray, either Zircon or Dagger flew next to them ...
... refueling helped neither the F-35C nor the MQ-25 Stingray ......

[Old ensign]

Quote: For example

I don’t understand why this circus?
This UAV can refuel one aircraft.
This UAV must take off from an aircraft carrier, refuel the aircraft and land.
The number of takeoffs and landings from an aircraft carrier remains unchanged.

The only purpose of this attraction is to increase the flight range of a combat unit.

This procedure is relevant for a reconnaissance aircraft. For single, spot applications. What the regular Hornet could handle before.

But in order for a group of planes to fly far, a group of UAVs must be sent for refueling.

In general, this is just a circus where tricks are demonstrated - and our tanker flies without a pilot! Can you do that?

I think so. wink

Refueling in the air is very difficult and dangerous, the pilots are wet with excitement and fear. The drone does not sweat and is not afraid.

[prior]

And the pilot, therefore, is now sweating doubly - both for himself and for the drone.

[Dkuznecov]

We don't need anything, we don't have aircraft carriers, so it's irrelevant.
And our ground-based IL-78 carries 82 tons of fuel,
against 6 tons of this baby. And he will have a radius maybe.
My opinion, of course.

[APASUS]

Interestingly, the Americans did not use the refueling bar on the UAV, as is their custom.

[OgnennyiKotik]

Quote: APASUS

the Americans did not use the refueling bar on the UAV

A boom in the Air Force, this UAV for the Navy. These types of troops have different refueling systems.

[konstantin68]

Well, how will this work in real combat? I do not understand.
Well, if only to bomb Hussein.

[certero]

When the era of unmanned aerial vehicles was just beginning ten years ago, I was completely sure that Russia would be able to, if not overtake everyone, then be one of the leaders in this area. Because drones are, first of all, control algorithms, in which we have a fairly strong school in our country since the times of the Soviet Union. But now it looks like polymers, if not completely, then we are trailing in the tail

[Sergey1964]

Quote: certero

control algorithms, in which we have a fairly strong school in our country since the times of the Soviet Union.

I'm actually a microbiologist with a biology in biotechnology. But it so happened that, in the absence of a full-time programmer in the laboratory, in 1988 I was seated at DVK-2 and told - write programs and calculate the results of the laboratory. And I wrote (mainly PASCAL, after switching to the IBM PC - Turbo Pascal), on a voluntary basis, since no one removed my main job (microbiologist & biotechnologist). This was the preamble. And now - the plot itself.

In the troubled 90s, when they stopped paying money at work, I earned bread and butter (and even red caviar) as a database programmer on FoxPro, using the skills I acquired in the laboratory. And I was taught the secrets of FoxPro by an excellent guy from a Moscow commercial firm who, under the USSR, was engaged in the development of algorithms and software for military satellites. I still remember - we smoke on the porch, and he is sad "But I used to deal with Space ... and now - databases, accounting, warehouse ...". And such melancholy and doom on the face and in the voice ... More than a quarter of a century has passed, and I still remember.
And, most importantly, I was then at a loss (young-stupid) and could not find an answer. I should have said "Come on, let's go for 250" (there was just a diner nearby where they poured). You look, the person would feel better.