Boeing MQ-25A Stingray first operational production aircraft achieves successful first flight

Boeing/MQ-25A Stingray

Boeing's first operational MQ-25A Stingray unmanned tanker flew for two hours over southern Illinois on April 25, 2026, autonomously taxiing, taking off, flying and landing. The flight validated the production design and moved the Navy's first carrier-based tanker drone toward low-rate production.

• 2-hour autonomous flight at MidAmerica Airport, Mascoutah, Illinois on April 25, 2026
• Aircraft demonstrated autonomous taxi, takeoff, flight and landing without pilot control of control surfaces
• Stingray reached Milestone C milestone, enabling inflight refueling validation in future tests