The start of ground testing follows another delay, as the phase had previously been planned for late 2025. Boeing said the production MQ-25 will conduct its first flight after ground tests are completed, once weather conditions are suitable.
The test program is being carried out by Boeing specialists supported by U.S. Navy personnel from Air Test and Evaluation Squadrons VX-23 and UX-24. UX-24 specializes in supporting the development of unmanned aerial systems.
Flight testing has been underway for several years with the MQ-25 T1 flying demonstrator, which does not fully represent the production-standard aircraft. Boeing is to deliver nine pre-production Stingray aircraft, five of which will be used for fatigue testing and other static tests.
The U.S. Navy plans to acquire 76 MQ-25 aircraft and currently expects the first to achieve initial operational capability in 2027. Earlier plans had called for the initial batch of pre-production aircraft to be delivered in 2022, with initial operational capability reached in 2024.
