Navy Establishes First Squadron To Operate Its Carrier-Based MQ-25 Stingray Tanker Drones
The Navy is standing up the unit now to ensure personnel are as prepared as they can be for the arrival of these drones in the coming years.
By Joseph TrevithickOctober 1, 2020
The War Zone
Effective today, the U.S. Navy has officially established the first squadron that will operate its future MQ-25 Stingray carrier-based unmanned tankers from Boeing. The service does not expect to begin test flying more refined MQ-25 prototypes from actual carriers until the end of next year, at the earliest. As such, this unit will be focused in the meantime on training personnel to be as ready as possible to operate and maintain those drones when they begin arriving in the coming years.
The Navy first began the formal processing of standing up Unmanned Carrier Launched Multi-Role Squadron 10, abbreviated VUQ-10, in August, according to an official internal notice. That document says the official establishment date is Oct. 1, 2020, and that the unit is located at Naval Base Ventura Country in California, which includes Naval Air Station Point Mugu. A detachment of Unmanned Patrol Squadron 19 (VUP-19), the Navy's first MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance drone unit, also calls Point Mugu home.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/36859/navy-establishes-first-squadron-to-operate-its-carrier-based-mq-25-stingray-tanker-drones
