[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Stealth Unmanned Refueling Aircraft to Be Deployed in the US Navy

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] The death of Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force, an elite unit of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in a US drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq, has drawn attention to unmanned attack drones.

How far will drone evolution progress in the future? Drones initially performed reconnaissance missions but have since been deployed in combat as attack aircraft. The US Navy has even completed the development of unmanned aerial refueling aircraft to refuel fighter jets in midair. Aerial refueling refers to the process where a fuel-carrying aircraft supplies fuel to another aircraft flying in the sky. It is called the "gas station in the sky." Thanks to aerial refueling aircraft, fighter jets have significantly extended their operational range.

The unmanned aerial refueling aircraft promoted by the US Navy is Boeing's MQ-25 Stingray. The US Navy plans to conduct the official test flight of the MQ-25 Stingray, the first drone tanker, in 2021. Once deployed, the operational range of carrier-based aircraft such as the F/A-18 and F-35C owned by the US Navy will expand from 640 km to over 1,280 km.

Boeing's MQ-25 Stingray first appeared in 2018. While the US Navy was developing the carrier-based unmanned aircraft system (UCLASS), the project name was changed to CBARS to introduce the next-generation unmanned aerial refueling aircraft. US defense companies showed great interest in unmanned aircraft. Lockheed Martin, General Atomics, and Boeing submitted project proposals.

The US Navy selected Boeing. The US Navy signed a contract worth $805 million to develop four MQ-25 Stingrays by August 2024. The MQ-25 Stingray quickly made its appearance. In September last year, it succeeded in flying the aerial refueling drone 'MQ-25 Stingray' for two hours at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Illinois, USA.

Another feature of the MQ-25 Stingray is its stealth capability. This means it can operate in formation with F-35 stealth fighters. Once the MQ-25 Stingray is operational, not only will the operational capability of the F-35 stealth fighters increase, but they will also be able to carry more attack missiles instead of fuel.