The U.S. Navy and Boeing are finishing floor assessments of the MQ-25 Stingray check asset at Chambers Subject onboard Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. The MQ-25 Stingray introduces unmanned aerial refueling and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to the air wing that can lengthen the vary, operational capability and lethality of the Service Air Wing and Service Strike Group. The MQ-25 is the primary transfer towards the Navy’s strategic imaginative and prescient of unified, interoperable networks and techniques structure. It’s paving the way in which for future unmanned techniques to be launched to the air wing and plane provider atmosphere.

“The Stingray is the way forward for naval aviation. It’s the first plane carrier-based unmanned air car (UAV),” stated Rear Adm. John Meier, Commander, Naval Air Power Atlantic. “The bottom testing is one other step towards the teaming of manned and unmanned plane platforms. Integrating platforms just like the MQ-25 into the air wing will improve their lethality and attain.”

Commercial

The Boeing MQ-25 Stingray is the primary plane provider based mostly unmanned aerial refueling plane. (U.S. Navy photograph by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sam Jenkins)

“What we’re doing right now is deck dealing with. We’ve a system put in on the airplane that enables the plane to be engines up, energy operating and taxing by controllers on the deck. We’re utilizing painted traces to part areas of the flight deck to check how the MQ-25 would be capable to maneuver on board an plane provider,” stated Rick Schramm, the technical lead engineer materials overview board.

Chief Aviation Machinist Mate Michael Solle stated the united statescapabilities of the MQ-25 will enable the F/A-18 to return to its major mission set in addition to lengthen its strike vary and improve maneuverability. The Boeing-owned MQ-25 not too long ago accomplished its first aerial refueling of an F-35C Lightning II plane, marking the third refueling flight evolution for the check plane as a complete. As soon as operational, MQ-25 will refuel each receiver-capable carrier-based plane. The MQ-25 is meant to be one of many U.S. Navy’s quickest main protection acquisition packages to succeed in preliminary operational functionality.

US Navy MQ-25 Stingray Conducts Ground Testing at Naval Station Norfolk Chambers Field
The U.S. Navy and Boeing carried out floor testing of the MQ-25 Stingray at Chambers Subject onboard Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. (U.S. Navy photograph by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sam Jenkins)