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Navy/USMC

Navy Air Boss Confirms MQ-25 Will Still Test Fly This Year, Followed By Carrier Integration In ‘26

Thursday, August 28th, 2025

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Navy Air Boss Confirms MQ-25 Will Still Test Fly This Year, Followed By Carrier Integration In ‘26

The MQ-25 Stingray test asset, T-1, conducts deck handling maneuvers on Dec. 12, 2021 while underway aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), the first testing of the MQ-25 model at sea. (Photo: U.S. Navy)

The Navy Air Boss this week confirmed the new MQ-25 carrier-based unmanned tanker aircraft will test fly this year, followed by aircraft carrier integration in 2026. “The key to that platform is MQ-25 will fly this year in 2025 and then do the integration on the carrier in ‘26. Coincidentally, at the same time, [the next Ford-class carrier, the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79)] will be getting to sea about the same time as the MQ-25, so lots of…

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Unmanned Systems

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