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Boeing (BA) Wins Deal to Support MQ-25 Air Vehicle Program

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The Boeing Company (BA - Free Report) recently secured a modification contract involving the MQ-25 air vehicle. The majority of the work related to the deal will be executed in St. Louis, MO.

Valued at $198 million, the contract was awarded by the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD. Per the terms, Boeing will carry out the integration of a ground control station that provides command and control capability for supporting the MQ-25 air vehicle.

The entire task is scheduled to be completed by August 2024.

Importance of MQ-25A

Boeing’s MQ-25A, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), is designed to provide the U.S. Navy with much-needed refueling capability, allowing for better use of fighter jets. The UAV extends the combat range of deployed F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler jets of Boeing, and Lockheed Martin’s (LMT - Free Report) F-35C fighters.

Our View

Cost-effectiveness compared to manned aircraft along with zero mortality, which UAVs offer, has been bolstering demand for military drones. As acts of terrorism increase across the globe, so does the demand for UAVs.

Notably, increasing use of UAVs in various military applications, such as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and electronic warfare has been boosting the military segment of the global UAV market. Interestingly aerial refueling has been one of the primary growth contributors to this space.

Aerospace major Boeing has more than 10 years of experience in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) flight services and information delivery. Notably, its MQ-25 is the U.S. Navy’s first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft.

With Boeing being a prominent defense contractor across the globe, it is obvious that increasing demand for UAVs is getting translated into notable contract wins  for this jet giant. The latest contract win is a bright example of that.

Opportunities for Peers

The global UAV market is projected to increase from $19.3 billion in 2019 to $45.8 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 15.5%, as predicted by Markets and Markets research firm.

This should bode well for prominent defense majors like Boeing, Lockheed, Northrop Grumman (NOC - Free Report) and BAE Systems Plc (BAESY - Free Report) , which dominate the UAV marketplace. Notably, Northrop Grumman’s MQ-4C Triton UAS is equipped to provide real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) over vast ocean and coastal regions. On the other hand, BAE Systems’ Taranis is an unmanned combat aircraft system advanced technology demonstrator programme.

Zacks Rank and Price Movement

In a year’s time, shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have slumped 33.6% compared with the industry’s 19.9% decline. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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