The American company “Boeing” published a video clip showing the world’s first operation to refuel a warplane in the air by an unmanned aircraft.
A spokesman for the company said that the flight of the two planes was carried out on June 4, in which the US unmanned aerial vehicle tank MQ-25 T1 “Stingray” and the US Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft participated.
The spokesman said that the pilot of the American fighter took a position in front of the drone, then approached it to a distance of about 6 meters, and before starting the refueling process, it turned on the fuel hose and made sure that the fuel pump directed by the flying tank was correct.
The spokesman explained that the process of refueling by air was achieved after its digital simulation, which took into account all the required standards, and added that the test of the unmanned tank will continue, and then the flying tank will be sent to the Norfolk base to continue the tests aboard the aircraft carrier at the end of this year.
In the future, it is planned that the unmanned aerial vehicle will replace the F/A-18 strike fighters that are currently carrying out aerial refueling in the US armed forces.
