Vice Adm Joseph Mulloy, deputy chief of U.S. naval operations for integration of capabilities and resources, confirmed that the MQ-25 Stingray will be less stealthy than UCLASS but the platform can still carry out strike missions as the pylons are engineered to carry bombs and missiles.
Photo: U.S. Navy
A reason for tuning down the stealth requirements is so that existing UCLASS competitors – Northrop Grumman; Lockheed Martin; Boeing; and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems will “all have a better leg to stand on,” Mulloy added. It also opens the door to new competitors.