Boeing (NYSE: BA) and the U.S. Navy completed the first test flight of an operational MQ-25A Stingray unmanned aircraft on April 25, according to a company statement.

The two-hour flight demonstrated the aircraft's ability to autonomously taxi, take off, fly, land and respond to commands from the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System MD-5 Ground Control Station. Boeing and U.S. Navy pilots monitored the mission from MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois, where the program is based.

The MQ-25A executed a predetermined mission plan that validated its flight controls, navigation, and integration with the ground control system. The aircraft is designed to provide autonomous aerial refueling capability for carrier-based operations.

"Today's successful flight builds on years of learning from our MQ-25A T1 prototype and represents a major maturation of the program," said Dan Gillian, vice president and general manager of Boeing Air Dominance.

Rear Admiral Tony Rossi, who oversees the Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons, called the flight "a critical step toward the future of the carrier air wing."

The aircraft is the first of four Engineering Development Model aircraft that will be delivered to the Navy under the original $805 million Engineering and Manufacturing Development contract.

Boeing and the Navy plan to conduct additional test flights from MidAmerica St. Louis Airport before transitioning to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, to prepare for carrier qualifications. The MQ-25A is intended to extend the operational range of carrier air wings by providing refueling services, allowing F/A-18 Super Hornets to focus on strike missions rather than aerial refueling duties.