Airplanes will be able to refuel in mid-flight thanks to this autonomous Boeing drone

Boeing

One of the big problems that the United States Navy seems to have is the need for its combat aircraft to be able to refuel mid-flight. Due precisely to this need, in October 2017 they decided to ask all the companies that worked for them to present different proposals to carry out safe refueling in the air.

After several months of waiting and studying the viability of the different proposals that have come to them, it seems that the one presented by Boeing is the most interesting, same in which, apparently, an autonomous drone will be used, although it can be controlled remotely, to speed up an entire process that, at present, is very complicated and laborious.

Boeing will be in charge of manufacturing a drone capable of supplying fuel to Navy fighters in the air

This drone designed and manufactured by Boeing itself has been officially baptized with the name of MQ-25"Stingray«. The idea is that it be transferred on a military warship from where it can be launched into the air so that, minutes later, it can land on a fighter or any other plane that needs to be refueled. The idea is that with just one trip the drone can carry up to 6.800 kilograms of fuel being able to get away from the aircraft carrier that moves it up to 500 miles.

One detail to keep in mind is that, at the moment and due to the specifications of the Navy, which is ultimately in charge of paying for the project, the drone designed by Boeing is capable of Fuel Boeing F / A-18 Super Hornet, Boeing EA-18G and Lockheed Martin F-35C fighters. According to a statement published by Boeing itself:

Boeing's MQ-25 unmanned aircraft system is undergoing extensive testing before making the first demonstrations next year on the deck of a ship.


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