The U.S. Department of Defense, referred to by the Trump administration as the U.S. Department of War, announced that the U.S. Navy had awarded Boeing Company the first production contract for the MQ-25A Stingray.
The $562 million fixed-price incentive contract will allow for initial production of the Stingray carrier-based unmanned aircraft, officials said. The contract provides funds for three Lot 1 Stingrays and additional funding for the advanced acquisition of long-lead components for three Lot 2 MQ-25As.Officials said they expect delivery on the Lot 1 aircraft in 2029.
“Awarding this first LRIP contract marks a pivotal transition from development to operational reality and is a testament to the focused effort of our joint government and industry teams,” Navy Capt. Daniel Fucito, the program manager for Unmanned Carrier Aviation, said. “MQ-25A will deliver the advanced reach, lethality and survivability our warfighters need to outpace evolving threats and dominate the future battle space.”
The MQ-25A Stingray program received approval to move into production and deployment in May, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said. The program comprises 76 air vehicles, including four engineering development and manufacturing and five system demonstration test articles. Currently, seven test aircraft are in production, the Navy said.
The MQ-25A is the world’s first fully integrated, carrier-based manned aerial vehicle, and will serve as the pathfinder for the future of unmanned carrier aviation, officials said. The Stingray is the carrier air wing with essential refueling, which will allow more F/A-18 Super Hornets to focus on strike missions. Officials said the Stingray’s will expand the wing’s operational reach while “preserving the service life of the aircraft, improving readiness across the Super Hornet fleet,” and “setting the stage for future advancements in aviation.”