Friday, February 23, 2024

First MQ-25 Stingray to the #USNavy ! Force multiplier in Indo-Pacific !


Boeing's MQ-25 Stingray: A Potential Game-Changer for US Navy in Indo-Pacific Theater

First MQ-25 Stingray to the #USNavy ! Force multiplier in Indo-Pacific ! - YouTube 

Boeing has delivered its first MQ-25 Stingray to the US Navy for testing on February 21. Recognized as the leading carrier-based operational vehicle globally, this unmanned aircraft excels in aerial refueling, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. With this delivery, the US Navy has taken a key step towards overcoming refueling challenges for tactical fighters such as the F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-35. In this video, Defense Updates analyzes how the MQ-25 Stingray could be a game-changer for the US Navy in the Indo-Pacific theater ?

The US Navy has received its first MQ-25 Stingray, an unmanned aircraft system primarily designed for aerial refueling, from Boeing. The Stingray, which resulted from the Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System (CBARS) program, will play a crucial role in extending the combat range of deployed F/A-18 Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, and Lockheed Martin F-35C combat aircraft by offloading 15,000 lb of fuel within an 800-mile range. 

The MQ-25's aerial refueling capability is significant, particularly in the context of the Pacific theater, where extensive distances pose inherent challenges. By potentially doubling the range of tactical fighters, the Stingray offers a strategic advantage that could reshape the dynamics of aerial operations in the area. Upon becoming operational, these drones will autonomously operate from the decks of America's Nimitz and Ford-class carriers, meeting returning fighters to refuel them. 

Chinese professional military circles have taken note of this remarkable capability, perceiving it as a potential game-changer in the context of Pacific theater operations. The MQ-25 fits perfectly into the US Navy's larger scheme of enhancing the representation of unmanned aircraft on carriers, with a goal of achieving a 60-40 split in favor of unmanned vehicles in the next decade.

MQ-25 Stingray IOC and Costs:

IOC Schedule:

  • This first test unit delivery does not imply Initial Operating Capability has been achieved.
  • The MQ-25 Stingray is currently not expected to meet its Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in 2024 as previously planned.
  • Due to production delays and program adjustments, the latest estimates say IOC will be achieved in 2026. This reflects efforts to ensure the aircraft meets operational requirements before deployment.

Program Costs:

  • The total program cost for the MQ-25 is estimated at around $15 billion. This includes research and development (R&D), procurement of the aircraft and related equipment, and ongoing operational support.
  • The unit procurement cost per aircraft is estimated to be around $70 million. However, this could fluctuate depending on final production quantities and contract negotiations.

Operating Costs:

  • The exact operating cost per flight hour for the MQ-25 is still being determined, but it's expected to be significantly lower than the F/A-18 Super Hornet it's replacing, potentially around $2,000 per hour compared to $10,000 for the F/A-18.
  • This lower operating cost is mainly due to the MQ-25's fuel efficiency and reduced maintenance requirements as an unmanned aircraft.

Additional Notes:

  • The program has faced challenges including supplier issues and delays in developing the production line, leading to the revised IOC timeline.
  • Despite the schedule delay, the MQ-25 is still expected to offer significant benefits to the Navy, including increased range, endurance, and flexibility for carrier operations.

Designed To Boost F-35's, F/A-18's Capabilities, Boeing Delivers First MQ-25 Stingray To US Navy For Testing

Ashish Dangwal

With the handing over of the first MQ-25 Stingray for evaluation, the US Navy is one step closer to conquering the refueling obstacles of its tactical fighters like the F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-35 in the Pacific theater.

Boeing has announced that it has handed over the first MQ-25 Stingray to the US Navy for evaluation, as revealed by the company on February 21. This unmanned aircraft, hailed as the world’s foremost carrier-based operational vehicle, boasts capabilities in aerial refueling alongside intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).

The US Navy plans to deploy a fleet of MQ-25 drones, augmenting the existing Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, Boeing EA-18G Growler, and Lockheed Martin F-35C fighters to bolster the Carrier Air Wing (CVW) and Carrier Strike Group (CSG).

Boeing’s announcement on X, formerly known as Twitter, emphasized that the delivered airframe will undergo a “rigorous airframe integrity evaluation” now. “Once operational, [MQ-25] will extend the range and capability of the [U.S. Navy’s] air wing,” Boeing added.

The journey to the handing over the MQ-25 Stingray began in 2018 when Boeing secured a $805 million contract to construct the initial four MQ-25 Stingrays, triumphing over competitors such as General Atomics and Lockheed Martin.

Subsequently, in 2020, the Navy exercised an $84.7 million contract to procure three additional drones, with plans to build a fleet comprising 76 units for $1.3 billion.

In a significant development in 2021, the MQ-25 T1 test asset successfully underwent integration into the carrier environment during a demonstration aboard the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77).

That crucial test validated the functionality, capability, and handling qualities of the unmanned aircraft’s deck handling system, paving the way for further advancements.

In September 2023, Boeing provided the visuals of its first pre-production MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone. At that juncture, the company disclosed that the MQ-25 showcased in the released footage was the first of nine examples scheduled for static testing.

Following the completion of static testing, the drones are slated to advance to fatigue testing, according to the company. This phase entails subjecting the airframes to additional stress tests to elucidate the formation of microscopic cracks in the fuselage and identify when these cracks reach a critical size.

These tests serve as crucial benchmarks to ensure airworthiness- before embarking on full flight tests with pre-production models- and assess the long-term durability of the aircraft.

The anticipated initial operational capability (IOC) for the MQ-25 was previously set for 2025. However, in April 2023, it was pushed back to 2026 due to construction delays.

MQ-25 Stingray Might Transform Dynamics In The Pacific Theatre

Once they are in service, the drones will play a crucial role in providing refueling support for the Navy carrier’s air wings.

mq-25
MQ-25

The MQ-25, equipped with an impressive 15,000 lb of fuel ready for offloading within a 500nm range, emerges as a transformative asset capable of substantially extending the operational reach of tactical fighters like the Super Hornet and F-35C.

This remarkable capability has not escaped the notice of Chinese professional military circles, where it is perceived as a potential game-changer in the context of Pacific theater operations.

The significance of the MQ-25’s capabilities lies in its capacity to address the inherent challenges posed by vast distances in the Pacific region. With its ability to effectively double the range of tactical fighters, it presents a strategic advantage that could reshape the dynamics of aerial operations in the area.

This dedicated tanker capability will enable tanker-tasked F/A-18E/F jets to focus on their primary missions, thus expanding the combat capabilities of strike fighter squadrons and freeing up Super Hornet fleets.

MQ-25 T1 refueling an F-35C. <em>Boeing</em>
MQ-25 T1 refueling an F-35C. Boeing

Additionally, the MQ-25s are expected to be integral in conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions for the Navy.

There is a concerted effort within the US Navy to increase the presence of unmanned aircraft on carriers, with air wings projected to have a predominantly unmanned composition in the coming decade.

The collaboration with and control of carrier-based drones will also be essential for the Navy’s future next-generation F/A-XX carrier fighter program. The MQ-25, thus, represents an important step towards establishing regular carrier drone operations.

Much of the operational, command, and control procedures developed through the MQ-25 program will be transferred to higher-performance carrier-based drone aircraft programs.

According to the service, “MQ-25 is comprised of two major segments: The MQ-25 Air System (air vehicle), and the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System (UMCS), the system required for carrier integration and command and control of the MQ-25 air vehicle and payload.”

The US Navy plans state that all Nimitz-class and Gerald R. Ford-class carriers will eventually be equipped to operate MQ-25s.

Despite Delays, Navy to Accelerate Delivery of Unmanned Tanker

By Jan Tegler

Boeing MQ-25A Stingray U.S. Navy photo

The Navy announced in April 2023 a second delay in the debut of its carrier-based unmanned aerial refueling aircraft, the Boeing MQ-25A Stingray.

Initial operational capability slipped from 2025 to late 2026 for the drone the Navy has called the “pathfinder” for future carrier air wings that could be 60 percent unmanned by 2040.

Rear Adm. Stephen Tedford, the Navy’s program executive officer for unmanned aviation and strike weapons, attributed the delay to difficulties faced by Boeing in establishing a mature production line. The company in 2018 won an $805 million contract to build the first four Stingrays, with the Navy exercising an $84.7 million option to purchase three additional aircraft in 2020.

Then in late November, the Defense Department’s Office of the Inspector General released an audit of the service’s management of the program. It found that “the Navy planned to make crucial production decisions before conducting tests and evaluations to ensure the program meets operational requirements.”

Originally planned to be in-service by 2024, the MQ-25 is designed to take over the aerial refueling duties now performed by F/A-18 Super Hornets in carrier air wings and perform additional future missions including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance as well as joint all-domain functions including advanced communications.

The service’s decision to proceed without sufficient testing added to the risk that the MQ-25 program “will not meet its operational capability requirements, which could require costly and time-consuming engineering changes and may delay the MQ-25A’s deployment,” the audit stated.

The inspector general’s audit recommended the service either delay the initial production and initial operating capability decisions until sufficient tests are conducted or ensure the program’s risk management documentation is updated to identify, assess and mitigate the impacts of making these decisions before conducting developmental test and evaluation and initial operational test and evaluation.

Capt. Daniel Fucito, who leads PMA-268, the unmanned carrier aviation office responsible for the MQ-25, said the Navy’s decision to delay initial operating capability prior to the release of the report will allow the service and Boeing sufficient time to complete and test the seven flight-worthy engineering and manufacturing development, or EMD, aircraft being built ahead of production and adequately train pilots and maintainers.

“This will also provide increased opportunity for the correction of deficiencies discovered in tests,” Fucito noted. The Navy is adjusting the current plan for MQ-25 development, test and production toward a more traditional acquisition strategy, he added.

A production decision for the Stingray and a low-rate initial production contract award previously proposed for 2023 will be postponed for now, Fucito said.

Troy Rutherford, Boeing MQ-25 program vice president, said the company expects low-rate production to begin late this year or early in 2025.

An unresolved question is what the MQ-25 will cost. The most recent Selected Acquisition Report on the Stingray is from December 2022. The report put the total cost of the MQ-25 program at $16.5 billion. The Navy’s fiscal year 2024 budget estimates list the cost of each MQ-25 at $136.2 million, however the report noted an increase in average procurement unit cost.

Despite setbacks for the MQ-25 effort, the service and the Stingray’s maker contend it is still on a rapid path to deployment.

“The Navy and Boeing took aggressive risk on cost, schedule and testing and we expect to see benefits from that early learning in the program long-term,” Fucito said. “Our intent is to accelerate the delivery of these aircraft to the fleet as soon as possible.”

Rutherford compared MQ-25’s gestation to typical time from contract award to initial operating capability across the Defense Department, which averages 14 years, he said.

“When we look at IOC in 2026, it shows how lean-forward both the Navy and Boeing were in saying we’re going to rapidly develop this faster than any other production program out there. We’re still in front of that average,” he said.

Boeing currently has five Stingrays in production at its St. Louis facility, Rutherford said. With a contract award for low-rate initial production aircraft, the company will transition production to a newly built site, he noted.

Boeing invested $200 million on a new production facility at Mid-America Airport attached to Scott Air Force Base in Missouri. It will complete final assembly there for the current airplanes and conduct flight tests there, he said.

Rutherford added that Boeing’s production line problems have mostly been resolved. Post-COVID challenges, including issues with the quality of coatings applied to Stingray’s metal components and drilling holes in the components during the fabrication process, a practice known as “full size determinant assembly,” were the result of work done by “sub-tier processing facilities.”

Boeing now has checks in place to ensure proper execution of manufacturing processes, Rutherford said. Manufacturing delays also came down to “the length of time it took for the supply base and even our own manufacturing to stand up in a post-COVID world where we had to train new employees and gather a new employee base,” he explained.

While Boeing is responsible for the air vehicle, the Navy is responsible for the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System, or UMCS, the means by which pilots will command and control Stingrays. Known as “air vehicle pilots,” they will fly MQ-25s from a ground control station within unmanned warfare center installations aboard aircraft carriers.

Fucito said that the USS George H.W. Bush is being modified with control system updates and a ground control station. Carriers USS Carl Vinson and USS Theodore Roosevelt will receive the same modifications in fiscal year 2025.

The Navy “is making great progress with ongoing lab integration events to demonstrate the capabilities of the UMCS” in coordination with Boeing and Lockheed Martin, the builder/developer of the MD-5 ground control station, he said.

The Navy has no current timeline for fielding future Stingray capabilities. Fucito said capabilities beyond refueling and deployment phases for them are still being determined.

J.J. Gertler, senior defense analyst for the Teal Group, observed that the delays for the MQ-25 program are concerning, particularly as the aircraft will serve as the foundation for future carrier air wings and have roles beyond refueling.

“MQ-25 is not being treated as a program,” he said. “It’s being treated as an experiment. The difference is if you do an experiment with an [unmanned combat air vehicle] and it works out, you’ve got [an unmanned combat aerial vehicle]. But if you only do an experiment with a tanker and it works out, you’ve got a tanker and you’ve still got to develop a UCAV.”

While the Navy hasn’t outlined exactly what aircraft types future air wings will consist of, service leaders have mentioned a combination that includes MQ-25, collaborative combat aircraft — also called robotic wingmen — and the service’s sixth generation fighter, known as F/A-XX.

“At some point they have to make MQ-25 and F/A-XX work together,” Gertler added. “But we haven’t seen a plan that I know of for that.”

Fucito responded: “MQ-25 will play a key role in the air wing of the future and as such has been assessed alongside all current naval platforms for capability; what exactly that entails and details for future platforms are still being determined.”

Tim Walton, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute’s Center for Defense Concepts and Technology, said the Navy hasn’t said much about the possibility that MQ-25s could receive gas as well as refuel aircraft.

“That would be a really important capability, because if you could do that, it gives the MQ-25 very long range,” he noted. “Sure, it could refuel other aircraft in other locations, but you could use it for forward [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] and targeting.”

“There’s absolute potential there,” Boeing’s Rutherford said. Current Navy requirements call for the unmanned tanker to be capable of offloading at least 14,000 pounds of fuel up to 500 nautical miles away from the carrier.

“The next phase of autonomy is for MQ-25 to be able to shuttle tank off a KC-46 or receive fuel from another MQ-25. That’s definitely in the Navy’s roadmap and our roadmap,” Rutherford maintained.

Training is underway for the personnel who will fly the MQ-25. The first eight MQ-25 warrant officer pilots finished undergraduate training, earning their wings of gold in May 2023, according to Fucito. The eight pilots have now become part of Unmanned Carrier-Launched Multi-Role Squadron VUQ-10 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.

There, they join multiple naval aviators with previous manned flight experience who will later perform instructor duties at VUQ-10 and operate the MQ-25 in support of the Integrated Test Team.

Twenty-two MQ-25s are to be in-service by 2028, according to the Navy. But concerns raised by the inspector general and other government reports introduce doubt to the Navy’s contention that the “pathfinder” Stingrays will be in service in meaningful numbers before 2030.

Walton said the service will have to accelerate delivery of the Stingray and fund the program appropriately to ensure carrier air wings can fight effectively in contested environments against China.

“I would say that it’s even more important that the Navy invests in the suite of capabilities related to autonomy and command, control and communications that will allow MQ-25 to conduct operations in contested environments,” he said.

“Otherwise, what we’ll find is that regardless of what the number is in the 2028 timeframe, that 22 number, you might not be able to use those as effectively as you want,” he added. ND

Topics: Defense Department, Aviation

navair.navy.mil

MQ-25™ Stingray | NAVAIR


Description:

The MQ-25™ Stingray will be the world’s first operational, carrier-based unmanned aircraft and provide aerial refueling and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities that enhance capability and versatility for the Carrier Air Wing (CVW) and Carrier Strike Group (CSG). Integration of a persistent, sea-based tanker into the CVW will make better use of our combat strike fighters and extend the range of our aircraft carriers. The system will be a critical part of the future CVW and is central to the Navy’s strategic Unmanned Campaign Framework, laying the foundation for all future carrier-based unmanned systems and pioneering the cutting-edge manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) operational concept. The Navy plans for all NIMITZ and FORD-class carriers to eventually be MQ-25 capable.

MQ-25 is comprised of two major segments: The MQ-25 Air System (air vehicle), and the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System (UMCS), the system required for carrier integration and command and control of the MQ-25 air vehicle and payload. PMA-268 manages these segments as the government Lead Systems Integrator (LSI).

MQ-25 is currently in flight test, gaining valuable early insight from the contractor-owned MQ-25 predecessor, T1. In 2019, the government/industry team conducted its first flight with the MQ-25 T1 test asset. Data from early T1 testing allows for learning and discovery to advance the development of major systems and software, and supports a rapid developmental test program. 

The Navy awarded an Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract to The Boeing Company in August 2018 for the design, development, fabrication, test, delivery, and support of four MQ-25A Engineering Development Models (EDMs). Over the next few years, Boeing will deliver the EDM aircraft and testing will occur at its facility in St. Louis, Missouri before transiting to NAS Patuxent River for the duration of the flight test program, with additional testing taking place in Lakehurst, New Jersey, and Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. 
 

Specifications: 

  •  Primary function: Aerial refueling
  •  Contractor: Boeing
  •  Propulsion: Rolls-Royce AE3700N
  •  Length: 51.0 ft
  •  Wingspan (wings spread): 75.0 feet
  •  Wingspan (wings folded): 31.3 feet
  •  Height (wings spread): 9.8 feet
  •  Height (wings folded): 15.7 feet
  • MQ-25™ is a trademark of the Department of the Navy

 

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