Stingrays Take Flight: The Future of Unmanned Warfare Is Here

Why the MQ-25 Stingray Is a Game-Changer for Carrier Operations

Dec 03, 2024

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An AI-generated image of an aircraft carrier cruising in calm seas. Overhead is a F/A-18 Hornet being refueled by a MQ-25 drone. There are several inaccuracies in the AI image generation. For instance, the island sits in the middle of the carrier's deck.

At 15,000 feet over the skies of Illinois, a U.S. Navy F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, after several dry runs, lines up on an MQ-25 aerial tanker to refuel, a maneuver that aviators have performed countless times since the first aerial refueling operation in 1923. However, this one was different. In just over a minute, the F/A-18 E/F completes the transfer of just 300 pounds of fuel and disconnects, marking the first time in the history of aviation of a successful air-to-air refueling by an unmanned aircraft to a manned aircraft. It also draws attention to the rapid application of advanced technologies to unmanned systems and their influence on the future of military strategies and warfighting.

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