Aircraft
MQ-25 Contenders on Display at U.S. Navy Show
Boeing, GA-ASI, and Lockheed Martin pressed their claims for the unmanned carrier-borne refueler
The Lockheed Martin proposal for the MQ-25 is a tailless delta-wing design. (Image: Lockheed Martin)
The Lockheed Martin proposal for the MQ-25 is a tailless delta-wing design. (Image: Lockheed Martin)

Contenders for the U.S. Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray unmanned carrier-borne refueler displayed their solutions at this week’s SeaAirSpace event near Washington, D.C., organized by the Navy League. Lockheed Martin revealed its proposal, while Boeing and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) also displayed models on their stands.

Unlike the other two contenders, Lockheed Martin is proposing a tail-less airframe. The company seems to be betting on the Navy's deciding that its previous requirement for a stealthy unmanned carrier-launched airborne surveillance and strike aircraft (UCLASS) should, after all, form part of the MQ-25’s eventual mission set. Lockheed Martin is also trading on the reputation for rapid delivery of its Advanced Development Programs (ADP) facility, aka The Skunk Works.