Boeing built a Navy tanker jet with no pilot. The Navy ordered three.
The U.S. Navy awarded Boeing a $562 million fixed-price incentive contract on 14 September for the first low-rate production lot of the MQ-25A Stingray. The money covers three aircraft plus long-lead parts for three more.
The Stingray is an uncrewed tanker. Naval News reports it can deliver 14,000 to 16,000 pounds of fuel to fighter jets at a range of 500 nautical miles. On carriers, F/A-18E Super Hornets fly that buddy-tanking role today. The Aviationist reports the Navy plans to buy 76 Stingrays, freeing more fighters for operational missions. First deliveries are slated for 2029, according to Naval News.
Boeing's film shows the build in Mascoutah, Illinois, from wing jigs to a finished aircraft towed out of the hangar.
The award is fixed-price incentive. Boeing and the Navy share overruns until costs reach the point of total assumption, and past that point Boeing generally carries each extra dollar. On a line this new, the estimate at completion is the number to watch.
🎥 Video: Boeing, official YouTube channel, 18 Sep 2026 · narration: AI voice
What would you need to see in a supplier's numbers before signing a fixed price on its first production run?
What the captions say
- Boeing's MQ-25 Stingray refuels Navy jets with no pilot.
- The Navy ordered the first three on September 14.
- The contract is worth $562 million.
- Boeing builds it in Mascoutah, Illinois.
- It can deliver up to 16,000 pounds of fuel.
- First deliveries are slated for 2029.
- The Navy plans to buy 76 of them.