When Boeing tweeted an eight-second clip of a mysterious aircraft last week
with the idea that it might be “changing future air power,” speculation ran wild that
this was either some sort of space airplane or perhaps a new VTOL aircraft with
a “hairdryer-type engine.” Close, but no cigar.
Instead, as Boeing revealed this week,
the aircraft is the company’s submission for the U.S. Navy’s MQ-25 competition
that will provide unmanned refueling capabilities and subsequent extension of
combat range for Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, Boeing EA-18G Growler, and
Lockheed Martin F-35C fighters.
“Boeing has been
delivering carrier aircraft to the Navy for almost 90 years,” said Don “B.D.”
Gaddis, a retired admiral who leads the refueling system program for Boeing’s
Phantom Works technology organization. “Our expertise gives us confidence in
our approach. We will be ready for flight testing when the engineering and
manufacturing development contract is awarded.”
Boeing’s MQ-25 entry is
currently undergoing engine runs, and the company expects to begin deck
handling demonstrations early in 2018.
In addition to Boeing, the
Navy awarded MQ-25 development deals to Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and
General Atomics; however, Northrop CEO Wes Bush announced in October
that the company was pulling out of the competition, saying that his “objective
is not just to win.”
“Winning is great,” he
added, “it feels good on the day of an announcement, but if you can’t really
execute on it and deliver on it to your customer and your shareholders, then
you’ve done the wrong thing.”
(Evangle Luo of TTFLY shared with you)
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