Aviation history made when drone refuels manned Navy jet in midflight

An unmanned drone performed an air-to-air refueling with a U.S. Navy jet last week, marking the first time in aviation history such a maneuver has been accomplished, officials said.

During a test flight June 4, the Boeing-owned MQ-25 T1 successfully and safely transferred jet fuel to a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet.

During the first part of the flight, the F/A-18 test pilot flew in close formation behind the drone in a maneuver that required as little as 20 feet of separation. The drone extended its refueling line, and the pilot moved in to “plug” with the drone and receive the fuel.

The milestone comes after drone flights as well as simulations of aerial refueling. Boeing and the Navy said the drone will continue flight testing prior to being shipped to Norfolk, Virginia, for trials aboard a U.S. Navy carrier later this year.

An unmanned Boeing MQ-25 T1 Stingray test aircraft, left, refuels a manned F/A-18 Super Hornet on June 4 near MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois. This successful flight demonstrated that the MQ-25 Stingray can fulfill its tanker mission using the Navy's standard probe-and-drogue aerial refueling method. Testing with the unmanned MQ-25 T1 Stingray will continue over the next several months. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Boeing)

“This flight lays the foundation for integration into the carrier environment, allowing for greater capability toward manned-unmanned teaming concepts,” said Rear Adm. Brian Corey, who oversees the program executive office for unmanned aviation and strike weapons. “MQ-25 will greatly increase the range and endurance of the future carrier air wing, equipping our aircraft carriers with additional assets well into the future.”