Liebherr Awarded Contract to Support Boeing’s MQ-25 Unmanned Tanker for the U.S. Navy

On December 9, 2020, Boeing and the U.S. Navy flew the MQ-25 T1 test asset with an aerial refueling store (ARS) for the first time, a significant milestone informing development of the unmanned aerial refueler. The successful 2.5-hour flight with the Cobham ARS – the same ARS currently used by F/A-18s for air-to-air refueling – was designed to test the aircraft’s aerodynamics with the ARS mounted under the wing. The flight was conducted by Boeing test pilots operating from a ground control station at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Ill. Future flights will continue to test the aerodynamics of the aircraft and the ARS at various points of the flight envelope, eventually progressing to extension and retraction of the hose and drogue used for refueling.

Posted By: aeromorning 11 February 2021

Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH will be supplying Boeing’s MQ-25A Stingray tailhook actuator. The order, which also includes additional qualification tests, is the first awarded to Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH by Boeing Defense, Space & Security.

Lindenberg (Germany), February 2021 – Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH, Liebherr’s center of excellence for flight controls, actuation, hydraulics and landing gear systems, based in Lindenberg (Germany), has been awarded a contract by Boeing to supply the MQ-25A tailhook actuator.

The tailhook is a device that enables aircraft to rapidly decelerate for landings on short runways, such as aircraft carriers. The MQ-25 will be the U.S. Navy’s first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft and is designed to provide a robust refueling capability for the carrier air wing. The contract supports Boeing’s engineering and manufacturing development program to provide MQ-25 aircraft to the U.S. Navy.

Liebherr is extremely proud to have been selected to provide the actuator that will retract and extend the tailhook of the unmanned aerial refueler.

Liebherr builds upon a more than 40-year experience in designing, manufacturing and servicing actuation systems for military aircraft. Liebherr has developed unique high-performance and high-reliability technologies that particularly fit the severe environment that the MQ-25A tailhook actuator will be operating in.

Source : Liebherr