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During a two-hour flight on April 25, the unmanned aircraft autonomously taxi, take off, fly, land and respond to commands from the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System MD-5 Ground Control Station (GCS). Boeing and U.S. Navy Air Vehicle Pilots facilitated the mission by sending the aircraft commands and then monitored its performance from the GCS at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Ill., where the program is based. Once airborne, the Stingray executed a pre-determined mission plan that validated its flight controls, navigation, and safe integration with the GCS.
The flight is described by Boeing and the Navy as a step in maturing the MQ-25A program’s autonomous capabilities for carrier operations. Boeing said the successful flight builds on years of learning from its MQ-25A T1 prototype, and that the MQ-25A is the most complex autonomous system developed for the carrier environment. Rear Adm. Tony Rossi, overseeing the Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons, characterized the flight as a critical step toward the future of the carrier air wing and toward delivering a carrier-based refueling capability.
The MQ-25A is positioned as the Navy’s gateway to integrating unmanned aircraft on the carrier deck, enabling manned-unmanned teaming. Its autonomous aerial refueling capability is intended to extend the operational range of the carrier air wing and allow F/A-18 Super Hornets currently performing the aerial refueling role to focus on their primary role as multi-role strike fighters.
The aircraft is the first of four Engineering Development Model aircraft that will be delivered to the Navy under the original $805M Engineering and Manufacturing Development contract.
Boeing and the Navy plan additional test flights out of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport to further validate the aircraft’s flight controls and capabilities. The program will then transition to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, to prepare for carrier qualifications.
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