U.S. Navy advances unmanned aviation with MQ-25 production order as autonomous resupply and hypersonic strike concepts emerge
The U.S. Navy awarded Boeing a $562 million Lot 1 low-rate initial production contract for three MQ-25A Stingray carrier-based tankers, with deliveries beginning in 2029. Separately, Textron Aviation and Merlin unveiled an autonomous Cessna SkyCourier resupply concept, while Castelion’s Blackbeard hypersonic weapon moves toward production.