The U.S. Navy awarded Boeing a $562 million fixed-price incentive contract on Monday to begin Lot 1 Low Rate Initial Production of the MQ-25A Stingray unmanned tanker, the service announced. The contract covers three MQ-25A aircraft and includes additional funding for components to support three Lot 2 aircraft, with initial Lot 1 deliveries slated for 2029.
The award brings to 14 the number of MQ-25A aircraft under contract. Eleven aircraft were previously contracted under the Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase, including four Engineering Development Model aircraft, five System Demonstration Test Articles, and two ground test articles for static and fatigue testing.
The MQ-25A is designed to deliver at least 14,000 pounds of fuel over 500 nautical miles, roughly the same capacity as the F/A-18 Super Hornets it is intended to relieve of the aerial refueling role, according to an August Government Accountability Office report. The Navy’s program of record includes 67 operational aircraft and nine test aircraft.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao announced the upcoming LRIP and deployment in May during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. The Navy completed its first successful test flight of a production representative MQ-25A on April 25, 2026, though that demonstration lagged a year behind the service’s initial plans. The Navy estimates it will continue flight tests through the end of this year.
The contract follows Milestone C approval in May 2026, which moved the MQ-25 program into the Production and Deployment phase. Boeing said the Lot 1 will validate the design, production processes, and supply-chain readiness. The Lot 2 contract is planned to be awarded in 2027.
Capt. Daniel Fucito, Unmanned Carrier Aviation program manager (PMA-268), said the award “marks a pivotal transition from development to operational reality” and that the MQ-25A will deliver “the advanced reach, lethality, and survivability our warfighters need to outpace evolving threats and dominate the future battlespace.”
Sources: DVIDS News · Defense News · Navy Times · The Aviationist