Boeing’s MQ-25 tanker drone is off the block with mid-air fueling capabilities that is a game-changer.
Humans might not have much involvement in mid-air refueling before long. Boeing has flown a test version of its MQ-25 refueling tanker drone with a refueling pod attached for the first time, taking it one step closer to topping up military aircraft. The 2.5-hour flight showed that the autonomous drone’s aerodynamics were sound with the wing-mounted pod it’s expected to carry much of the time.
MQ-25 Refueling Tanker Drone Contract
In 2018, Boeing got the Navy’s MQ-25 tanker drone contract, a major victory for a company that has struggled to win combat aircraft awards in recent years, marking a significant step toward a new kind of carrier air wing.
According to Navy’s acquisition boss James Geurts, the $805 million-contract covered the design, development, test, and delivery of four Stingray aircraft – a program the Navy expects will cost about $13 billion for 72 aircraft.
According to our friends at Engadget, the test drone, T1, is a precursor to an engineering development model that will take Boeing one step closer to a finished vehicle. This could be a crucial machine. The US Navy ultimately hopes to order more than 70 MQ-25 drones that will take over the fuel tanker role F/A-18 Hornet fighters have had to serve. The robotic aircraft should not only free those jets for their intended combat roles, but spare human pilots from having to fly a routine and often mundane mission. While that could lead to fewer pilots overall, it could also help keep people out of harm’s way.
From our friends at Engadget->
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