an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and an F-35 Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter from the MQ-25. The program is important because it will free up naval aviation’s fleet of F/A-18s to focus on the fighter and strike missions they were designed for. The use of F/A-18s for tankers is also stressful on the airframes, so the MQ-25 will help the Super Hornet fleet last longer. Plus, the MQ-25 will give the rest of the air wing better range to reach targets or engage adversaries. The MQ-25 can remain on station longer, because it has much lower fuel consumption, and is not limited by the human endurance of an aircrew. And, the MQ-25 can position itself further away from the carrier to deliver fuel to other aircraft, significantly expanding naval aviation’s reach. Boeing built The MQ-25 at its St Louis facility and conducted ground and flight tests from MidAmerica St Louis Airport in Mascoutah, IL. The aircraft is still very early in the acquisition stage. We are working with the first prototype, and several more are being procured before the program will be mature enough to go into production. In preparation for integration into carrier operations, we’ve been practicing using the Stingray’s remote-control capability to move the aircraft around the flight deck and respond to instructions from the carrier’s ‘yellow shirts’ – its aircraft handlers. The eventual goal being to trap the aircraft, get it out of the landing area before the next recovery and safely taxi the aircraft to a parking spot to refuel prior to its next launch. As an aerospace engineer, a naval aviator with an operational background, and a US Naval Test Pilot School graduate, I bring a valuable perspective to the program. I work with an awesome and dedicated test and evaluation team, including people from the MQ-25 integrated product team, the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Program (PMA-268) and Boeing. I have been able to help them to understand how the air wing operates, and how we use tankers in the fleet. Test flights can make for grueling days. There’s the preparation, brief, getting on the flight gear, launching and conducting the flight and returning to base, turning in any classified material, and debriefing. If something didn’t go right, then you may have to fly the test over again. For testers to do their job correctly, they have to share their expertise and experience on The US Navy’s first in-flight refuelling test of the Boeing MQ-25 Stingray UAS results in an unusual departure for MilTech – an almost verbatim first-person interview with one of the aircrew involved – Lt Cmdr David Babka of VX 23 at Patuxent River, MD – an interview facilitated by Edward Lundquist. I am a naval flight officer who has served in the fleet as a weapon systems operator of F/-18 Super Hornet strike fighters. I attended the US Naval Test Pilot School and served a tour as a test naval flight officer and project officer with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23. In June 2021, pilot, Lt William Peabody, and I became the first aircrew to conduct in-flight refueling from Boeing’s MQ-25 Stingray – part of the Navy’s Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System (CBARS) program, which seeks a replacement for the manned Super Hornets currently providing air-to-air refueling for carrier strike groups. CBARS grew out of the earlier Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program. The MQ-25’s prototype, known as Test Article 1 or T1, first flew on 19 September 2019. The first flight began with a series of maneuvers in close formation behind the tanker, to ensure performance and stability prior to refueling. The F/A-18F flies a two-person crew – during in-flight refueling, the pilot is responsible for keeping the [aircraft] in the refueling zone and the aircraft probe and tanker drogue connected. The Stingray and Super Hornet use the hose and drogue refueling system, which is standard for the Navy and many of our partners. There are often other aircraft waiting to refuel, so the weapon systems operator (WSO) in the back maintains situational awareness and manages radio communications. When an F/A-18 is configured as a tanker and full of fuel, the aircraft is flown with the throttles up, which makes a lot of noise for aircraft in the refueling zone. It can be hard to hear the radios, or the intercom between the front and back seat. The MQ-25 is much quieter, which means we can communicate [more easily]. It was also very stable – the steadiest ‘basket’ we’ve ever seen. Since our test flight last June, the Navy has also refueled Edward Lundquist Look Ma – No Hands! 50 · MT 2/2022 From the Bridge
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