The MQ-25 Stingray resumed testing with its second flight, in anticipation of the enlargement of the flight envelope and validation of the autonomous flight management code forward of provider operations.
The U.S. Navy’s production-representative MQ-25A Stingray unmanned aerial refueller carried out its second flight check, Boeing introduced on Jun. 10, 2026. This comes nicely over two months after the primary flight on Apr. 25, 2026 from MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, Illinois.
Boeing famous the flight featured for the primary time touchdown gear cycles, following the primary in a touchdown configuration with gear down, as is customary for the maiden flight of a brand new plane. Moreover, the plane featured a brand new software program load to help future flight envelope enlargement assessments.
Boeing’s launch mentioned that the airplane “autonomously managed the propulsion, subsystems, steering and flight controls essential to realize each touchdown gear up and touchdown gear down phases of the mission plan.” The plane was commanded via the Unmanned Service Aviation Mission Management System (UMCS) MD-5 Floor Management Station (GCS) at MidAmerica.
As is commonplace, the MQ-25A is carrying the Cobham Aerial Refueling Retailer (ARS) beneath the left wing. The system, already utilized by the F/A-18, hosts the hose-and-drogue system employed for the gasoline switch.
The primary @USNavy MQ-25A Stingray™ accomplished its second check flight, that includes the plane’s first airborne touchdown gear cycles. The milestone additional validates the autonomous flight controls and efficiency capabilities, shifting it nearer to provider operations. pic.twitter.com/UmqXk6Wufl
— Boeing Protection (@BoeingDefense) July 10, 2026
In preparation for provider operations, the MQ-25 is about to proceed the flight check marketing campaign and increase its flight envelope. The Stingray can also be set to obtain the official U.S. Navy livery.
A month after the MQ-25A’s first flight on Apr. 25, the U.S. Navy accepted the uncrewed tanker’s transfer into the Low-Charge Preliminary Manufacturing (LRIP). Extra lately, the Boeing-owned T1 demonstrator, that flew for the primary time in 2019, was seen launched into the flight deck of the united statesNimitz plane provider in official images launched by the U.S. Navy.
Boeing in June has additionally defined precisely which features engineers are testing throughout the floor and flight assessments. Testing is especially centered across the autonomous flight management code, and the varied situations the MQ-25 is rigorously put via when the Air Automobile Pilots (AVP) aren’t concerned.
Second flight
Boeing mentioned in its press launch that the second check flight by the corporate’s and the U.S. Navy’s AVPs “additional validates the plane’s flight controls and efficiency, shifting it one other step nearer to provider operations.” They proceeded to test the touchdown gear cycles by constructing upon the “success of the primary flight.”
Extra importantly, Boeing and U.S. Navy groups additionally put in a brand new software program that may help future flight envelope enlargement assessments. The brand new software program “included automobile administration system and mission pc enhancements,” explains Boeing.
The video launched by the corporate exhibits a member of the check crew activating the auto taxi and auto take-off instructions, with the plane autonomously performing the operations whereas the bottom crew oversees them.
What occurs earlier than and through a MQ-25 check – Lab trials
In a Jun. 10 launch, Boeing quoted its engineers who spoke in regards to the autonomous flight management software program, which was “constructed and examined […] via years of exhaustive verifications […] earlier than the Stingray ever left the bottom.” The Stingray has 600,000 strains of code, governing flight management and flight security, which has undergone 200,000 hours of lab assessments and over 1,000 hours of floor assessments on the primary flight plane.
AVPs within the UCAMCS MD-5 GCS don’t management the autonomous Stingray “by way of a standard stick and throttle,” which “presents distinct and novel challenges.”
“AVPs set up waypoints and flight paths the plane will fly,” explains the corporate. “They then ship instructions, with the press of a button, resembling taxi, takeoff and land to the Stingray from a Floor Management Station often known as the Unmanned Service Aviation Mission Management System (UMCS). The Stingray’s onboard autonomy interprets instructions and manages all onboard methods together with propulsion, subsystems, steering and flight management,” the Boeing launch added.
The present MQ-25A Stingray is vastly totally different from the Boeing-owned T1 check asset that first flew in 2019, and is “outfitted with a extra superior autonomy software program and contingency administration system.” In keeping with MQ-25 Mission Programs Built-in Product Crew chief Mark Dunn, the brand new software program particularly helps the “MQ-25A safely combine seamlessly with the provider air wing.”
Engineers separated and remoted the software program and {hardware} checks. The software program assessments commenced in a lab “three years earlier than the primary flight” on the precise computer systems put in contained in the plane – the Automobile Administration System Computer systems (VMSCs).
The crew then “added plane elements into the lab setup,” together with the “actual actuators on the airplane’s hydraulic and electrical methods.” This step assessed if the VMSCs ran the autonomy software program and contingency-management system accurately.
Assessments on the plane
Following the profitable lab work, the plane acquired the identical VMSCs. Juan Cajigas, MQ‑25 chief engineer, mentioned they needed to induce all “doable [emergency] situations the plane may expertise in flight and make sure the airplane would autonomously react as we meant.”
Celebrating America 250 🇺🇸
To honor america’ 250th anniversary, the MQ-25A T1 prototype is aboard the united statesNimitz, providing a glimpse of the Navy’s provider air wing of the long run. The particular “Boeing Backs America” mark highlights our help for U.S. aviation. pic.twitter.com/hbFYXtCxfK
— Boeing Protection (@BoeingDefense) June 29, 2026
“Within the lab, engineers intentionally launched failures” like “lack of GPS navigation, engine failure or lack of communication with the AVPs” to test how the autonomy software program and contingency administration system responded. In a single particular check, intentionally injected a scenario the place the Stingray misplaced communication with the AVPs, and checked if the system triggered the “return-and-land conduct”, designed to direct the plane to autonomously return and land at its departure airfield.
