UAV

MQ-25 Stingray

Boeing · United States

Boeing's MQ-25 Stingray is a US Navy carrier-based tanker drone. Originally scheduled for 2025 operational deployment, it now faces a 2029 timeline amid rising costs and production risks. USS Theodore Roosevelt is the first carrier with a control centre ready for MQ-25 operations; a demonstrator has been embarked aboard USS Nimitz.

Country	United States
Airframe / lift type	Fixed-wing
Control / autonomy level	RC line-of-sight – BVLOS, Semi-autonomous (human-on-the-loop)
Domain	Aerial (UAV/UAS)
Mission / use case – military	ISR, Logistics / resupply
Origin / supply chain	Military-grade
Propulsion	Turbine / jet
Signature / detectability	RCS – large, RF-emitting
Speed regime	High-speed / jet (>400 km/h)
Weight / class	Class III – MALE (>600 kg), FAA >25 kg (Part 137 / waiver)
Confidence	low

In the news 12

Defense Daily · 2026-10-16Sikorsky’s Unmanned U-Hawk Enters Flight Test Program, Sees ‘More Interest’ From Marines DefenseScoop · 2026-10-07Unmanned warfare has now expanded to the high seas. Is the U.S. ready?Asian Military Review · 2026-09-25Aerial tankers: The force multiplier behind modern airpower The War Zone (TWZ) · 2026-09-14Everything We Just Learned About The Vectis Collaborative Combat Aircraft From The Skunk Works Opex360 (Zone Militaire) · 2026-09-02À son tour, l’US Navy se met en quête d’un drone de combat collaboratif embarqué DefenseScoop · 2026-09-01Navy kicks off search for first increment of CCA drones The War Zone (TWZ) · 2026-09-01Navy Sounds Like It Now Wants The Air Combat Drone It Notoriously Passed Over A Decade Ago Defence Industry Europe · 2026-08-12U.S. Navy’s MQ-25 tanker drone faces 2029 operational delay and congressional scrutiny over rising costs and production risks The War Zone (TWZ) · 2026-08-07USS Theodore Roosevelt Is The First Carrier With A Drone Control Center Ready For MQ-25 Stingray Ops C4ISRNET · 2026-07-02Hegseth creates powerful new drone office, pulling authority from the military services Defense News – Unmanned · 2026-07-02Hegseth creates powerful new drone office, pulling authority from the military services The War Zone (TWZ) · 2026-06-29MQ-25 Stingray Demonstrator Goes Aboard USS Nimitz For 250th U.S. Anniversary Celebrations

From uav360.xyz, the xSonomy news feed. Headlines link to the original publisher.

MQ-25 Stingray — United States Navy photo courtesy of Boeing · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons

Review-stage catalogue data — specs corroborated from manufacturer and secondary sources; not for procurement decisions.