Originally developed under the US Navy's Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program, the MQ-25A Stingray is designed to free up the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fleet that carry the burden of "buddy-refueling" carrier combat aircraft in the air after the retirement of the Grumman KA-6D Intruder and the Lockheed S-3B Viking. This duty is vital for extending the range of carrier-based aircraft, but this comes at the cost of diverting the Super Hornets from combat and also reducing their service life.

The planned fleet of 76 aircraft will be deployed on America's aircraft carriers and will be used to refuel carrier-based aircraft. The latest MQ-25A looks like the T1 demonstrator that Boeing has been flying in land-based tests but it differs in a number of significant ways.

Like the T1, the MQ-25A has a length of 51 ft (15 m) and a wingspan of 75 ft (23 m), and has the same footprint as the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. It's powered by a single Rolls-Royce AE 3007N turbofan jet engine that generates 10,000 lb of thrust and gives the aircraft an operation radius of 500 nm (575 miles, 926 km), and high subsonic speed that has not been specified.

However, where the MQ-25A differs from the T1 is that it's built to meet military operational specifications, making it capable of carrying out actual missions. This involves a new structural layout that includes mission bays, an Integrated Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) turret for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), folding wings for carrier deck storage, "carrier-hardened" gear for catapult launches and arrested landings, satellite communications, and operational software. In addition, the airframe has been treated with naval-grade corrosion protection for long-term exposure to salt-spray environments found in carrier operations.

Still in its greenish factory undercoating, the MQ-25A went through its flight test under the control of a joint team of Boeing and US Navy Air Vehicle Pilots, with a Boeing-owned TA-4J Skyhawk and a US Navy UC-12M Huron providing aerial monitoring and chase support. The objectives of the flight were to demonstrate autonomous ground operations, validate the aircraft's flight control systems, monitoring the performance of the Rolls Royce engine, and testing the integration of the command and control system.

"The first flight of the MQ-25A is a landmark achievement for the Navy-Boeing team and a critical step toward the future of the carrier air wing," said Rear Adm. Tony Rossi, who oversees the Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons. "This flight demonstrates our progress in delivering a carrier-based refueling capability that will significantly extend the reach and lethality of our fleet."