Overview
- The Navy awarded a $562 million fixed-price incentive LRIP contract to Boeing on Monday to buy three Lot 1 MQ-25A Stingrays and to fund long‑lead parts for three Lot 2 aircraft.
- Initial Lot 1 deliveries are planned to begin in 2029 and the award follows May Milestone C approval and a production‑representative first flight on April 25, 2026.
- The MQ-25 is built to refuel carrier air wings from the deck so F/A-18E/F Super Hornets can focus on strike missions while the drone also provides limited ISR capacity.
- Independent reports and oversight bodies have warned that key flight testing, software and cybersecurity checks remain incomplete and that early production could amplify schedule and cost risks.
- Program managers say LRIP is the pivotal step to fielding carrier unmanned refueling, but sustained work on the ground control system, supply chain and funding reprogramming will shape when the system reaches initial operational capability.