US Navy’s MQ-25A Stingray cleared for low-rate production

May 21, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

The US Navy’s MQ-25A Stingray unmanned tanker has received Milestone C approval, allowing the program to enter low-rate initial production following the aircraft’s recent first flight.

The announcement was made by Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao following the platform’s first flight in April.

US Navy’s MQ-25A Stingray completes first test flight

UUV/UAV

An LRIP Lot 1 contract covering three aircraft is expected to be awarded this summer. The contract is also set to include priced options for Lot 2, covering three additional aircraft, and Lot 3, which would include five aircraft.

According to the navy, the MQ-25A will provide organic aerial refueling capability for carrier air wings, allowing more F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to be assigned to strike missions instead of tanker duties.

The service said the unmanned aircraft is intended to extend the operational reach of carrier strike groups while also reducing flight-hour demands on the Super Hornet fleet.

The MQ-25A is also expected to support broader efforts to integrate unmanned systems alongside crewed aircraft within carrier air wings.

Vice Adm. John E. Dougherty IV, Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Aviation, said the approval represented an important step for the program and would expand operational capacity across the carrier air wing.

Capt. Daniel Fucito, program manager for Unmanned Carrier Aviation, stated the aircraft and production system were ready to move forward into the next phase of the program.

The MQ-25A program is managed by the US Navy’s Unmanned Carrier Aviation Program Office (PMA-268), which oversees both the Stingray aircraft and the associated Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System.