Latest news with #MQ-25Stingray
UPI
04-08-2025
- Business
- UPI
Boeing defense machinists strike in Missouri, Illinois
Boeing machinists in Missouri and Illinois walked off their jobs Monday after refusing a contract proposal from the company. File Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI | License Photo Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Three Boeing defense plants face a strike as 3,200 hourly machinists walked off their jobs. Members of the International Association of Machinists voted to strike at about 1 a.m. EDT Monday. "3,200 highly-skilled IAM Union members at Boeing went on strike at midnight because enough is enough," the union wrote on X. IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli on Sunday urged a new contract for the workers. "IAM District 837 members build the aircraft and defense systems that keep our country safe. They deserve nothing less than a contract that keeps their families secure and recognizes their unmatched expertise," Cicinelli said. The striking members work at facilities in St. Louis and St. Charles, Mo., and Mascoutah, Ill., the union said. On July 27, they voted to reject a four-year contract proposal by the company. "We're disappointed our employees rejected an offer that featured 40% average wage growth and resolved their primary issue on alternative work schedules," Boeing said in a statement on Sunday, titled "Last, best and final offer." "We are prepared for a strike and have fully implemented our contingency plan to ensure our non-striking workforce can continue supporting our customers." The workers on strike build and maintain fighter jets, including the F-15 and F/A-18 models. They also build the T-7A Red Hawk trainer and the MQ-25 Stingray unmanned refueler. The F-47 stealth fighter jet, the Pentagon's next-generation fighter plane, is planned to be built at a Boeing plant in the St. Louis area, though the company hasn't said which plant will build it or when production will begin. Boeing also operates some nonunion plants in the area. Boeing Defense, Space and Security unit has recorded nearly $11 billion in losses from late 2021 through the end of 2024. Pentagon contracts that made the company responsible for cost overruns, including two new Air Force One jets, are the main cause. But this year, the unit has made profits. In the Boeing earnings call last week, CEO Kelly Ortberg said the company can weather the costs of the strike. He said it would be far less than the cost of last year's strike of 33,000 commercial plane unit workers. "The order of magnitude of this is much, much less than what we saw last fall," Ortberg said. "I wouldn't worry too much about the implications of the strike. We'll manage our way through that."
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MQ-25 Stingray Carrier-Based Uncrewed Tanker Ground Testing Now Underway
Ground testing has begun on the production representative MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone for the U.S. Navy. This comes ahead of an expected first flight before the end of this year, a goal the Navy has previously said will require 'a ton of work' to achieve. Manufacturer Boeing disclosed the start of ground testing of the production representative MQ-25 during a quarterly earnings call today. For years now, the company has been using a flying MQ-25 demonstrator, also known as T1, to support work on the Stingray, but that test article is not fully reflective of the production-standard configuration. Boeing announced the delivery of the first of nine pre-production MQ-25s to the Navy last year. Four of those drones will be Engineering Development Models (EMD), while the other five will be System Demonstration Test Articles (SDTAs) to be used for fatigue and other static testing work. The Navy's plan remains to eventually acquire a total of 76 Stingrays. In its 2026 Fiscal Year budget request, the service is asking for funds to buy its first three production MQ-25s at a cost of approximately $161.51 million each. The Navy is currently hoping to reach initial operational capability (IOC) with the MQ-25 in Fiscal Year 2027. When Boeing won the Navy's Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System (CBARS) competition in 2018, the IOC target date was in 2024. The schedule subsequently slipped multiple times, due to technical issues and other factors, including downstream impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Stingray program has also seen significant cost growth as a result. As noted, a production representative MQ-25 still has yet to fly, and the Navy itself has raised questions about the presently stated flight testing schedule. 'There's a lot of confidence in MQ-25 and [20]25. There is a ton of work to get MQ-25 and '25,' Navy Vice Adm. Carl Chebi, head of Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), said during a panel discussion at the Navy League's annual Sea Air Space exhibition in April. '70% of the capability that we deliver, [that] industry delivers to us, is late. So we're pushing hard.' 'We're going to fly this thing [Stingray] this year,' he added at that time. 'There's a lot of work right now. A lot of tough discussions are going to have to happen over the next couple months for us to fly that thing in 2025.' 'MQ-25 will fly this year because the airplane's telling us it's ready to go fly, and airplanes will tell you when they're ready to go fly, and this one is certainly ready to do that,' Dan Gillian, vice president and general manager of Air Dominance at Boeing, said while speaking at the same panel as Chebi. #MQ25 on the move!The first @USNavy MQ-25 Stingray recently moved off the production line to our static test facility. This is the first of nine Stingrays to be put through static, fatigue and flight tests to ensure durability and airworthiness. — Boeing Defense (@BoeingDefense) September 14, 2023 'MQ-25 has had some challenges along the way,' he also acknowledged, but expressed further confidence in the current first flight schedule. 'We have our first airplane that's going to go fly this year over at our facility in MidAmerica [Airport outside of St. Louis, Missouri], brand new facility. We're really excited about it, and the program is building momentum each and every day. And when we fly this airplane later this year, it will be the safest, best unmanned airplane that we've ever produced.' As Gillian noted, initial flight testing is expected to occur at MidAmerica. The Navy does not presently expect to begin flight testing from an actual aircraft carrier until next year. Boeing and the Navy have previously conducted deck handling and other tests using the T1 craned aboard the Nimitz class carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), but that drone has never launched from or recovered on a flattop. Last year, George H.W. Bush also became the first Navy supercarrier to receive a dedicated drone control center. Issues with the MQ-25 program notwithstanding, the Navy continues to describe the Stingray as a critical element of its planned future carrier air wings. 'MQ-25, plus long-range weapons and kill chains, plus a robust command and control, and platforms that can gain access to contested environments, are the vision and the key to the future of the carrier air wing to be able to operate out in the Pacific,' Capt. Lew Callaway, head of the Strike Aircraft and Weapons Branch within the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations' Air Warfare Division, said during a panel discussion at the WEST 2025 conference in January. 'I want to pivot to the MQ-25 because it's the nearest, most important capability that we're going to field in order to extend the range and the persistence of the carrier air wing.' Extending the reach of the carrier air wing, together with eliminating the need to use crewed F/A-18F Super Hornets in the tanker role, are the Navy's stated primary reasons for acquiring the MQ-25. The drones will also have a secondary intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability. TWZ has previously explored in detail how the MQ-25's design also offers a clear path for the Navy to employ the drones in a much wider array of roles, including as a long-range strike platform, in the future. Navy officials also regularly describe the MQ-25 as the central 'pathfinder' in the service's broader efforts to integrate more uncrewed capabilities into future carrier air wings. The Navy has a long-standing goal to eventually see 60 percent or more of the aircraft embarked on its carriers be pilotless. At the same time, the service has made no secret that its main focus now is on getting the MQ-25 into service, and that it is taking a back seat to the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps when it comes to future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) type drones. 'The United States Navy is in a tri-service memorandum of agreement and understanding with our sister services, the U.S. Air Force, as well as the Marine Corps, and we are developing that [CCA] capability together. Each of us are focused on a different aspect of that,' Navy Rear Adm. Michael 'Buzz' Donnelly, director of the Air Warfare Division (N98) within the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, also said at this year's Sea Air Space exhibition. 'The Air Force is leading and very forward leaning in the development of the actual air vehicle and the autonomy that goes in those for execution of mission. Marine Corps is working closely to develop manned-unmanned teaming between platforms such as the F-35, the F-35B being the baseline for their aviation capability right now. And the United States Navy is working based on our pathway of unmanned into the fleet with MQ-25.' 'As we work together for the United States Navy, I will tell you that we are definitely in the follow of those three services,' he added. It's also worth noting that the Navy's broader future carrier air wing plans have been upset recently by the decision to effectively shelve work on a new sixth-generation carrier-based stealth combat jet, commonly referred to as F/A-XX. The Pentagon has said this decision was made in order to focus resources on the Air Force's F-47 program, and that America's industrial base cannot support two sixth-generation fighter programs simultaneously. Boeing, the prime contractor for the F-47 and a contender for the F/A-XX contract, has notably pushed back on that assertion. 'Nothing in the Joint Force projects combat power from the sea as a Carrier Strike Group, which at the heart has a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN). To maintain this striking power, the CVN must have an air wing that is comprised of the most advanced strike fighters,' Adm. Daryl Caudle, the current nominee to become the next Chief of Naval Operations, wrote in response to a question about F/A-XX ahead of his confirmation hearing last week. 'Therefore, the ability to maintain air superiority against peer competitors will be put at risk if the Navy is unable to field a 6th Generation strike fighter on a relevant timeline. Without a replacement for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and E/A-18G Growler, the Navy will be forced to retrofit 4th generation aircraft and increase procurement of 5th generation aircraft to attempt to compete with the new 6th generation aircraft that the threat is already flying.' 'The Navy has a validated requirement for carrier-based 6th generation aircraft, and it is critical that we field that capability as quickly as possible to give our warfighters the capabilities they need to win against a myriad of emerging threats,' he added. In the meantime, with ground testing now underway, Boeing and the Navy are still pushing forward toward a first flight for the production representative MQ-25 configuration, an important step toward finally getting the Stingray into operational service. Contact the author: joe@ Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Boeing Commercial Airplane Revenue Recovers, Backlog Grows To $619 Billion
Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA) on Tuesday reported stronger-than-expected revenue for the second quarter, driven by a sharp rise in commercial aircraft deliveries. However, its adjusted loss per share was wider than Wall Street projections. The aerospace giant posted an adjusted loss of $1.24 per share, missing analyst expectations of a 94 cent loss. GAAP loss per share came in at 92 cents. Revenue climbed 35% year over year to $22.75 billion, beating the Street estimate of $20.20 billion. This was primarily due to higher delivery volume and improved operational performance. Also Read: Boeing delivered 150 commercial airplanes in the quarter, up 63% from a year ago. The total company backlog rose to $619 billion, including more than 5,900 commercial aircraft orders valued at $522 billion. The company reported operating cash flow of $227 million and a free cash outflow of $200 million. Segment Performance Commercial Airplanes: Revenue surged 81% year over year to $10.87 billion. Operating margin improved to -5.1%, compared to -11.9% a year ago. The 737 program stabilized at 38 aircraft per month, while the 787 ramped up to seven. The segment booked 455 net orders, including major deals with Qatar Airways and British Airways. Defense, Space & Security: Revenue rose 10% to $6.62 billion. Operating margin turned positive at 1.7%, reversing a 15.2% loss margin last year. The unit secured a U.S. Air Force contract for T-7A aircraft, began testing the MQ-25 Stingray for the Navy, and grew backlog to $74 billion, 22% of which came from international customers. Global Services: Revenue increased 8% to $5.28 billion. Operating margin expanded to 19.9%, up from 17.8%, boosted by a favorable mix and key contract wins. Boeing completed the sale of its Gatwick MRO facility and secured a P-8A support contract with the South Korean Navy. Cash and marketable securities totaled $23.0 billion, down from $23.7 billion in the prior quarter, primarily due to debt repayments and cash flow usage. Consolidated debt stood at $53.3 billion. Boeing continues to maintain access to $10 billion in undrawn credit facilities. View more earnings on BA The company also recorded a $445 million charge tied to its May 2025 non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, booked under unallocated items. 'Our fundamental changes to strengthen safety and quality are producing improved results as we stabilize our operations and deliver higher-quality airplanes,' said president and CEO Kelly Ortberg in a statement. 'As we look to the second half of the year, we remain focused on restoring trust and making continued progress in our recovery while operating in a dynamic global environment.' Analyst Sentiment During the quarter, Boeing's turnaround gained traction. In April, Goldman Sachs reiterated a Buy rating, citing minimal impact from the China delivery freeze, which affects only about 2% of the company's backlog. Aircraft initially destined for China were expected to be redirected to fast-growing markets like India. Meanwhile, Bernstein upgraded the stock to Outperform, highlighting Boeing's progress toward its target production rates—38 737 MAX aircraft per month by July and seven 787s per month by year-end. In July, the FAA advanced certification of the long-delayed 777-9. Air India also completed a safety inspection of its 737 and 787 fleets, finding no issues. Additionally, Boeing expanded its aerospace footprint with the successful launch of O3b mPOWER satellites, supporting next-generation global broadband infrastructure. Price Action: At last check Tuesday, BA shares were trading lower by 2.34% to $230.88. Read Next:Image via Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? BOEING (BA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Boeing Commercial Airplane Revenue Recovers, Backlog Grows To $619 Billion originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MidAmerica STL Airport expands with general aviation facility
MASCOUTAH, Ill. – There is more expansion here at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport as their new general aviation facility is taking shape. 'In the Summer of 2023, we finished the 42-thousand-square-foot expansion of the original terminal,' said Darren James, airport director of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport. 'Now with the addition of this another 25,000 square feet. To your point, the ability to serve more passengers and the community and international destinations is absolutely exciting.' The facility, being constructed in two phases, will enable the airport to process international and commercial flights. Just down at the end of the runway is the new Boeing facility, where the MQ-25 Stingray will be built. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'We've had more capacity and more passengers in March than we ever had,' James said. 'We had 40,000 passengers come through and we expect the same through summertime. They are working to increase the number of destinations and flights available for travelers in the future, with the right infrastructure in place to help. 'We'll continue to talk with different airlines,' James said. 'Right now, Allegiant is seeking a partnership with Viva Aerobus, a Mexican airline. But other airlines like Sun Country, Velo and Frontier are all going to the areas we look to serve. So we'll continue having discussions with the airlines.' Construction on phase 4a began in summer 2024 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AllAfrica
10-04-2025
- AllAfrica
US Navy's carrier drone delay handing the domain to China
As the US Navy cautiously inches toward carrier-based unmanned aircraft, China is racing ahead with stealthy naval drones, threatening to tilt the balance of power in the Pacific. This month, The War Zone (TWZ) reported that Rear Admiral Michael 'Buzz' Donnelly of the US Navy's Air Warfare Division outlined a restrained approach to Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs) at the recent Sea Air Space symposium in Washington, DC. While working with the US Air Force and Marine Corps, the Navy prioritizes the MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone and its operational integration over carrier-based CCAs. Donnelly explained that the Air Force leads in air vehicle and autonomy development, while the Marines emphasize manned-unmanned teaming via the F-35B. The Navy, trailing its US military counterparts, focuses on infrastructure and autonomy insights gained from the MQ-25. Carrier-specific integration challenges continue to hinder deployment despite the high potential of CCAs. Donnelly projected that initial CCA designs might emerge by the 2030s, contingent on the MQ-25's operational success. He noted the Navy favors more affordable, disposable drones over the Air Force's costly high-end CCAs. However, progress on classified Navy drone initiatives remains largely opaque. China's rapid advances in stealth unmanned carrier-based aircraft underscore the urgency for the US Navy to accelerate its efforts. Donnelly's remarks also raise concerns about the timeline for the F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter, envisioned to operate alongside CCAs. The delays reflect broader challenges in adapting unmanned systems to naval aviation. According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, the Navy's CCAs will share a common architecture with the Air Force to enable greater interoperability. Yet, the unique demands of carrier operations present serious obstacles. In a November 2022 article for the Drones peer-reviewed journal, Zixuan Liu and co-authors underscore that aircraft carrier decks are more constrained, risk-prone and complex than land-based airfields. They note the necessity for precise coordination of aircraft categories, support equipment, and launch-recovery sequences to reduce collision risks, which are magnified when incorporating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Liu and colleagues stress that these constraints will require highly automated and optimized scheduling systems, especially as UAVs become more autonomous and numerous in carrier environments. Despite these challenges, the US Navy is taking preliminary steps toward integration. In August 2024, the Navy Times reported that the USS George H W Bush was outfitted with the first Unmanned Air Warfare Center (UAWC) to support MQ-25 operations. Similar upgrades are planned for the USS Carl Vinson, USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Ronald Reagan, signaling an institutional shift toward unmanned platforms. Following the MQ-25's full integration into carrier operations—projected for 2026—a 'Stingray to the Fight' program will expand the drone's capabilities, including the addition of an internal mission bay, according to Sam LaGrone in an April 2023 USNI News article. In the long term, the Navy aims for drones to comprise up to 60% of its carrier air wings, as Rear Admiral Gregory Harris noted in an April 2021 TWZ article. For now, the MQ-25 is the lynchpin of the Navy's unmanned aviation efforts. In a January 2025 TWZ article, Lew Callaway emphasizes the MQ-25's tanker role as critical to extending the range and persistence of carrier-based strike aircraft like the F/A-18. He points out that China's sophisticated air defenses and long-range missiles make traditional aerial tankers and island-based refueling stations increasingly vulnerable. The MQ-25 offers a more survivable alternative to sustain carrier operations deep into contested areas of the Pacific. However, the MQ-25's limitations as a strike platform are equally significant. In a July 2023 Proceedings article, Josh Hano notes that the drone was not designed for speed, stealth, or agility. While the aircraft could theoretically carry precision weapons in an internal bay, its structure and systems are ill-suited to evolve into a frontline unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). Hano instead argues that the MQ-25 should evolve into a multirole support platform—performing anti-submarine operations (ASW), electronic warfare (EW), intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), or even acting as a decoy launcher to confuse enemy defenses. Strategically, the delay in the F/A-XX program casts a shadow over CCA development. Developing a complementary unmanned wing without the F/A-XX as a manned command aircraft doesn't make strategic sense. The F/A-XX is planned to replace the F/A-18 and serve as the backbone of future US carrier air wings, which are expected to enter service in the 2030s, but its timeline faces uncertainty. In March 2024, Breaking Defense reported that the Navy deferred approximately US$1 billion in FY2025 funding for F/A-XX research and development, citing a need to prioritize current fleet readiness. The decision reflects a broader struggle to balance immediate operational needs with long-term modernization. Part of the reluctance to commit significant funding may stem from recent procurement misfires. In a December 2024 article for 1945, Robert Farley links US Navy caution on the F/A-XX to a string of troubled programs, including the Columbia-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), Zumwalt-class destroyers, Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), and Constellation-class frigates. These projects were all plagued by cost overruns, shifting requirements and underwhelming performance, making policymakers wary of another costly gamble. Farley also suggests that the future of the F/A-XX is entangled with existential questions about aircraft carrier relevance. He references lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war, where large warships proved vulnerable and manned aircraft had limited operational impact. Such developments fuel skepticism about investing heavily in a carrier-based fighter that might lack a viable mission. The delays and hesitations risk handing the technological initiative to China. In a February 2022 Pacific Forum article, Loro Horta writes that no military now integrates drones as systematically as the People's Liberation Army (PLA). China treats drones as integral to its combat architecture, using them to compensate for weaknesses in manned platforms and to saturate adversaries with cost-effective systems. Conversely, US Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks acknowledged in a MIT Technology Review interview this month that the US faces difficulties in integrating drones into joint force operations and scaling production at the level China can achieve. In December 2023, TWZ reported that China's GJ-11 Sharp Sword UCAV had been observed at a PLA carrier test facility near a mockup of the Fujian-class carrier. The GJ-11's stealth profile, large internal bays and mission versatility (ISR, EW and strike) indicate it is a key element in China's naval drone plans. Launching such aircraft would require catapult-equipped carriers, such as the Fujian. PLA Navy (PLAN) destroyer commander Chi Jianjun, quoted in The Maritime Executive in January 2025, confirmed that drone platforms are being deployed across China's warships—from carriers and destroyers to amphibious assault vessels like the Type 75 and Type 76 classes. This widespread rollout reflects a coordinated effort to integrate unmanned systems into naval operations fully. As the US Navy treads carefully, slowed by strategic caution and budgetary friction, China's aggressive pursuit of stealthy naval drones threatens to redefine carrier warfare. Without a more decisive shift, the US risks falling behind in a domain it once dominated.
