Of course, compared with the partner refueling between carrier aircraft of the same model, or the manned tanker dedicated to aircraft carriers, the stealth unmanned tanker has many advantages, which can completely liberate carrier aircraft from the contradiction of fuel consumption. In 20 10, the U.S navy launched the unmanned surveillance and attack carrier aircraft UCLASS project. In 20 13, four development contracts were awarded to Boeing, General Atoms and Lockheed respectively. Martin and Northrop once developed the fuselage. Because the discussion on whether unmanned carrier aircraft should focus on sea/ground attack or reconnaissance has been delayed, on the other hand, the Pentagon hopes to free up more funds to buy more F/A- 18E/F and F-35C fighters.

Imagine the refueling operation of MQ-25 and F-35C. In 20 16, the Pentagon decided to transfer the project to the development of CBARS (an aircraft carrier aerial refueling system). The aircraft also has certain ISR capabilities of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and communication relay capabilities, and the strike task will be undertaken by future models. This can reduce the loss of F/A- 18 by as much as 20%, and also accelerate the upgrading of naval fighters and extend the operational radius. CBARS was originally named as RAQ-25, and later as MQ-25A? Stingrays? . Loma Company's scheme is based on the unmanned reconnaissance aircraft RQ- 170 serving in the US Air Force, with a length of 4.5m and a wingspan of19.9m. The power source is the Garrett TFE73 1 or GE TF34 turbofan engine, and the inlet is connected.

The wing-body fusion design is adopted, but the rear line is not cut corners, and two hanging points are arranged under the wing, which can be used to mount mailboxes for aerial refueling or ground attack weapons. Boeing's scheme is a brand-new conventional swept wing and full-motion V-tail design. The air intake is special, with only a small gap from the front, and the air intake can't meet the requirements of the engine completely. The real inlet is arranged at the top of the fuselage. On February 20 17, 17, Boeing launched its first prototype and conducted a series of ground taxi tests.

The MQ-25 prototype glides on the ground. General Atomics' scheme is based on? The Avengers? On this basis, the UAV is replaced by a P&W 8 15 turbofan engine with a thrust of 7 1 kN, and a winglet is installed at the wing tip, which effectively reduces the flight resistance. Due to the conventional configuration, the stealth performance of this scheme is limited.

General Atomic Scheme Imagine that Northrop's scheme is based on the X-47B unmanned verification machine, but on 20 17 10, Northrop announced its withdrawal from the bid for MQ-25. 2065438+On August 30th, 2008, the US Navy announced that Boeing Company won the bid for MQ-25. The $800 million contract includes the design, manufacture, verification, delivery and self-sustaining of four prototypes, which are integrated into the flight squadron of the aircraft carrier. It is expected that the initial combat power will be formed in 2024. The expectation of the US Navy of the International Olympic Committee for MQ-25 is that it can transport 6.8 tons of fuel for combat aircraft in the airspace within 500 nautical miles from the aircraft carrier, almost.