Navy’s drone refueler notches first flight—but it won’t be on aircraft carriers until 2029
The MQ-25A delay pushes deliveries another two years past the prior reschedule.
Thomas Novelly | April 28, 2026 03:36 PM ET
Navy Drones
As the Navy celebrates the first flight of its unmanned robot refueler, the service’s latest budget documents show the aircraft won’t be operational until at least 2029—another delay for the troubled program.
The MQ-25 A Stingray was originally supposed to reach initial operating capability, or IOC, by 2024. That was pushed to 2026, and then slipped to 2027. And Navy budget documents released this week show that the initial aircraft is now scheduled to be operational roughly five years past the original deadline.
“The latest projection for MQ-25 IOC is February 2029, and the program continues to look for opportunities to mitigate additional schedule risk,” according to Navy budget documents. The service did not immediately comment on the delays.
A production model of the Boeing-made MQ-25A Stingray flew for the first time on Saturday, the company said in a news release this week. The autonomous robot refueler taxied, took off, landed, and responded to multiple commands during the two-hour demonstration. It's one of four Engineering Development Model aircraft being built for the Navy, with the goal of taking refueling missions off the plate of F/A-18 Super Hornets in future fights. A company spokesperson deferred comment on the delays to the Navy.
The MQ-25 program of record calls for 76 aircraft. Four of them are engineering development models and five are System Demonstration Test Articles, according to the Navy’s budget. In 2027, the service is requesting $771 million to buy three of the drone refuelers.
https://www.defenseone.com/defense-systems/2026/04/navys-drone-refueler-notches-first-flight-it-wont-be-aircraft-carriers-until-2029/413170/?oref=d1-category-lander-top-story
