According to the procurement report for the 2027 fiscal year budget, the US Navy confirmed that it is studying plans to deploy the MQ-25 on land. This aircraft is originally designed to operate on aircraft carriers.
If deployed from scattered airfields, the MQ-25 can bring refueling capabilities closer to the operating areas of fighter jets. This helps fighter jets reduce the distance to fly to approach refueling aircraft, thereby saving more fuel for missions and the return journey.
The MQ-25 is not expected to replace large refueling aircraft such as KC-46A Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotanker. Instead, this unmanned aircraft can add small, scattered refueling points, helping to reduce dependence on some large bases.
Currently, the US Navy requires the MQ-25 to be capable of providing at least 14,000 pounds of fuel at a distance of 500 nautical miles from an aircraft carrier, with the goal of increasing it to 16,000 pounds. However, these parameters are only applicable to aircraft carrier missions and are not yet required for a land-based version.
The MQ-25 program currently has a total of 76 aircraft, including 9 for development and 67 for production. The aircraft representing the fleet made its first flight on April 25, 2026, marking the program's progress towards testing and production.
However, the US Navy has not announced a specialized MQ-25 development program for ground operations, has not identified allied customers or announced specific parameters for this configuration. Therefore, it can now be said that the US Navy is studying a plan, instead of deciding to deploy the MQ-25 to ground bases.
If deployed in the future, the MQ-25 placed on land could become an additional layer to the US refueling network in the Indo-Pacific, alongside large refueling aircraft and the MQ-25 version operating on aircraft carriers.
