The Boeing-owned MQ-25 Stingray T1 demonstrator embarked on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz during the recent Fleet Exercise (FLEETEX) 250 in the Atlantic Ocean.
Photos released by the U.S. Navy show that the demonstrator of the service’s new drone, the MQ-25 Stingray unmanned tanker aircraft, has been embarked aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). The aircraft in question is the Boeing-owned T1 demonstrator, which originally flew in 2019.
The aircraft embarked for Fleet Exercise (FLEETEX) 250, a series of structured multilateral training events at sea intended to build cohesion, validate tactical procedures, and strengthen interoperability of participating units from the U.S. and 13 partner and allied nations. The MQ-25 was lined up between four F/A-18E Super Hornets during a photo shoot.
Celebrating America 250 🇺🇸
To honor America’s 250th anniversary, the MQ-25A T1 prototype is aboard the USS Nimitz, offering a vision of the Navy’s carrier air wing of the future. Special “Boeing Backs America” branding highlights our support for American aviation. pic.twitter.com/hbFYXtCxfK
– Boeing Defense (@BoeingDefense) June 29, 2026
It should be noted that this is not the first time that an MQ-25 has been aboard an aircraft carrier. In fact, Boeing and the Navy carried out a flight deck demonstrationwhich made it possible to test the remote control system and ensure that the MQ-25 can move around the deck like other aircraft.
The aircraft now sports a simple gray livery, without the orange surfaces previously seen during testing. Additionally, the MQ-25 now received new “250” markings on both sides and a “Boeing Backs America” marking.
It is unclear if the MQ-25 played a role during FLEETEX or if it was just involved in the photo shoot. Notably, the aircraft is not equipped with the Cobham ARS module used for in-flight refueling, which is usually carried under the left wing.
In a social media post, Boeing said the MQ-25’s presence on the USS Nimitz “honors America’s 250th anniversary” and offers “a vision of the Navy’s carrier air wing of the future.” The photos also give a better idea of the dimensions of the Stingray compared to the Super Hornet and C-2 Greyhound.
The milestone follows the first flight of the MQ-25 production representative on April 25, 2026. A month later, the service approved the uncrewed tanker’s move to low rate initial production (LRIP).
The MQ-25 Manta Ray
The Boeing MQ-25 Stingray is an aerial refueling drone that resulted from the Carrier-Based Aerial Refueling System (CBARS) program, which emerged from the earlier Carrier-Launched Unmanned Air Attack and Surveillance (UCLASS) program.
The genesis of the MQ-25 Stingray dates back to the US Navy’s imperative for a carrier-based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of providing in-flight refueling to carrier strike group assets. The primary mission of the MQ-25 is to provide on-demand refueling support, significantly expanding the endurance and operational flexibility of carrier-based aircraft.
The MQ-25 Stingray conducted the first air-to-air refueling operation between an unmanned tanker and a manned receiver aircraft in 2021. The milestone was achieved thanks to the Boeing-owned MQ-25 T1 test asset, which used the Cobham Aerial Refueling Depot (ARS), the same used by the F/A-18s, to perform the refueling operation.
The US Navy plans to acquire 76 MQ-25s, including the Engineering Development Model aircraft and the System Demonstration Test Article aircraft. These will replace the F/A-18E Super Hornets in the aerial refueling role they currently serve as part of the Carrier Air Wing, resulting in more fighters available for operational missions.
The MQ-25 would also become the first operational carrier-based UAV. The service says it would serve “as a trailblazer for the future of unmanned transport aviation” as it would be “at the forefront of integrating unmanned systems alongside manned platforms within the CVW.”
“The MQ-25 increases the overall lethality of the CVW by freeing the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet from the aerial refueling mission, allowing munitions to replace the refueling stores on the F/A-18 pylons. As secondary missions, the MQ-25 will conduct organic intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and recovery tanks to the CSG,” the Unmanned website says. Carrier-Launched. Multi-Role Squadron Ten (VUQ-10), the fleet replacement squadron (FRS) for the MQ-25 Stingray, established 1 October 2022 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.
In addition to VUQ-10, two operational MQ-25A squadrons, VUQ-11 and 12, will be established. Following the first flight, additional sorties are expected before the aircraft moves to Pax River later this year to prepare for carrier qualifications, which were previously planned to take place on the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) by the end of the year.
