On 18 August, Boeing conducted another successful test with its MQ-25 T1 drone. The unmanned aircraft is to be used as a refuelling aircraft on the US Navy's aircraft carriers and is currently still under development. Following the first refuelling of an F/A-18 at the beginning of June, the other aircraft deployed on US aircraft carriers now also took on fuel in the air. The E-2D is used for forward reconnaissance and the guidance of mission aircraft. According to Boeing, the crew of the E-2D first checked the stability of the drone in order to establish a refuelling connection. Fuel was then transferred to the "customer".
The MQ-25 T1 is a pure test aircraft owned by Boeing. It is being used to test the design and software for future usability. The drone completed its maiden flight in September 2019 and has been undergoing extensive testing ever since. It is the result of a development process that began in 2006 under the name Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS). However, the focus is now on the ability to refuel from the air. The aim is to increase the operational radius of the Super Hornets from 830 to 1300 kilometres. Almost seven tonnes of paraffin are to be carried on board to supply four to six aircraft.
Two more aircraft of this type are currently being built, and the Navy has initially ordered a total of seven. They are 16 metres long and have a wingspan of 23 metres. The unmanned aircraft are powered by a Rolls-Royce AE 3007N turbine with a thrust of more than 44 kN.
Text: mb; Photo: Boeing
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