Role & capabilities
- Multirole aircraft
- Primary domain
- Air
- System type
- Multirole aircraft
- Developer / manufacturer
- Boeing
- Origin / production countries
- United States
- Other names
- Stingray
- Variants / configurations
- Engineering Development Models; System Demonstration Test Articles; Lot 1 production aircraft ordered
- Operators / programme customers
- US Navy — development and production customer
Evidence & current status
The sources below establish the stated programme milestone or supplier claim. They do not independently verify every configuration, delivery total or advertised performance figure.
Role and programme
MQ-25 fills a naval support role: aerial refuelling is the central capability identified by Boeing’s programme announcements. This differentiates the programme from reconnaissance-only aircraft and collaborative fighter demonstrators. A May 2026 Milestone C announcement cleared the programme for low-rate initial production after a production-representative first flight in April.
The September Lot 1 award covers three aircraft. Boeing’s total of 14 under contract includes development and ground-test articles as well as this lot, so it is not a delivered operational fleet. The announcement places initial deliveries and operator training ahead. The reviewed releases do not provide a complete airframe performance table.
Sourced specifications
Figures apply to the named configuration. Maximum values are not guaranteed operating performance.
| Specification | Reported value | Context & source |
|---|---|---|
| Airframe | Carrier-based uncrewed aerial-refuelling aircraft | Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together. Source ↗ |
| Launch / recovery | Carrier operations planned; qualification programme continuing | Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together. Source ↗ |
| Propulsion | Not established from the reviewed public sources. | Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted. Source ↗ |
| Dimensions | Not established from the reviewed public sources. | Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted. Source ↗ |
| Mass | Not established from the reviewed public sources. | Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted. Source ↗ |
| Endurance | Not established from the reviewed public sources. | Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted. Source ↗ |
| Range | Not established from the reviewed public sources. | Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted. Source ↗ |
| Speed | Not established from the reviewed public sources. | Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted. Source ↗ |
| Altitude | Not established from the reviewed public sources. | Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted. Source ↗ |
| Payload | Aerial-refuelling equipment; mass not established by cited releases | Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together. Source ↗ |
| Sensors | Not established from the reviewed public sources. | Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted. Source ↗ |
| Communications / navigation | Not established from the reviewed public sources. | Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted. Source ↗ |
Documented milestones
First production lot awarded
Three Lot 1 aircraft contracted; delivery and operational acceptance are separate milestones.
Read the announcement ↗
Publication history
- — Added a sourced global catalogue profile with configuration-specific data and explicit evidence limits.
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Follow the evidence
Source types identify who makes the claim. Programme milestones and supplier statements should be read in context.
- Boeing Lot 1 award, 14 September 2026 (opens in a new tab)Manufacturer / programme source
- Boeing Milestone C announcement, 19 May 2026 (opens in a new tab)Manufacturer / programme source