US confirms successful refueling drone test flight

 The Boeing MQ-25 Stingray completed its first test flight from the company's facility at MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois, the US Navy confirmed in a statement on Monday.

The aircraft took off at 10:49 am CDT on April 25 and flew for roughly two hours, with military and Boeing pilots controlling it from a ground station to validate flight controls, engine performance, and handling. According to defense industry reports, the previous flight attempt on April 22 was aborted for undisclosed reasons.

The MQ-25A is the Navy's first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft, designed as an aerial refueling tanker to extend the combat range of crewed fighters. "The MQ-25A is not just an aircraft," said Rear Adm. Tony Rossi, branding it "the first step in integrating unmanned aerial refueling onto the carrier deck."

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/US-confirms-successful-refueling-drone-test-flight/66156201