May 24, 2026, 6:03 pm
During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing held on May 19, Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Hung Cao confirmed that the MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aerial refueling aircraft has successfully achieved Milestone C approval, clearing the program to enter the Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) phase.
He stated, “Unmanned refueling extends our reach against any adversary. Moving the MQ-25A Stingray to Milestone C and into production is arming our warfighters with a capability that increases the lethality of our Carrier Strike Groups. This is a decisive advantage that delivers our warfighters what they need to fight and win.”
The development follows the aircraft’s maiden flight on April 25, marking a rapid transition toward operational production.
According to a statement released by the U.S. Navy’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Aviation, the service is expected to award an LRIP Lot 1 contract this summer covering three MQ-25 aircraft. The agreement is also set to include pre-priced options for an additional three aircraft under Lot 2 and five more under Lot 3.
In this video, Defense Updates analyzes how MQ-25 Stingray would provide new lever for US military dominance ?
#defenseupdates #mq25stingray #usmilitary
Chapters:
0:00 TITLE
00:11 INTRODUCTION
01:33 SPONSORSHIP – NordVPN
02:07 CRITICAL NEED
03:31 MQ-25 STINGRAY
06:19 CAPABLITIES
08:15 ANALYSIS
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