Blunt Commends U.S. Navy’s Selection of Boeing for MQ-25 Contract

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, released the following statement after the U.S. Navy announced that Boeing has been awarded the contract for the MQ-25, an unmanned aircraft that would embark on a carrier to conduct aerial refueling. Boeing subsequently announced that the MQ-25 will be built in St. Louis.

“Boeing has a proven record of making sure our nation’s service members have every advantage on the battlefield,” said Blunt. “Boeing took an innovative approach in designing an unmanned tanker aircraft with cutting-edge technology and unmatched capabilities. I’m proud of the men and women who designed this aircraft, the latest addition to the St. Louis region’s deeply-rooted aviation history.”

Boeing first unveiled their aircraft design on December 19, 2017 in St. Louis. In April, Blunt received an update from Adm. John M. Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations, on the U.S. Navy MQ-25.

The aerospace and defense industries employ 80,000 Missourians. As a member of the defense appropriations subcommittee, Blunt helped secure funding in the FY2019 defense appropriations bill for 24 Boeing Super Hornets, which are manufactured in St. Louis. The bill also provided full funding for the U.S. Air Force T-X trainer, which was designed in St. Louis and could be built there.