Boeing wins MQ-25A Stingray contract award Boeing's winning design for MQ-25A https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/us-navy-awards-boeing-805-million-mq-25a-stingray-c-451553/ Feel free to check out the above link for the basics. Binkov's comments are in italics. To sum it up, the initial operational capability for Boeing's design is expected by 2024. Taking cues from other development programs, that usually means in 2024 or a year or two later. Part of the teason for Boeing's victory is that they made the effort to built actual full-scale demonstrator aircraft, unlike its two competitors. MQ-25A is going to be a dedicated tanker unmanned aircraft, serving on USN carriers. Right now, the only tanker plane is F-18 Super Hornet, when equipped with buddy tanking system. Basically, out of 48 (52+ with Growlers) Super Hornets on the carrier, part of them (roughly one quarter of them, during deployments) is often required to act as tankers