Crane Aerospace & Electronics a segment of Crane Co. has been awarded a contract by The Boeing Company to supply the brake control system for the MQ-25 unmanned aerial refueling program.

"We are proud to be selected to support the U.S. Navy's first carrier-based unmanned aerial refueling program," said Carl Trustee, Vice President, Landing Systems of Crane Aerospace & Electronics. "It underscores our experience with providing brake control systems for unmanned aerial vehicles with their unique interface requirements."

The Brake Control System for the MQ-25 will leverage Crane's Mark V Brake-By-Wire system technology provided for numerous commercial, regional, business, and military aircraft platforms. The brake control system uses sensors capable of detecting wheel speed and direction, an important capability for a carrierbased unmanned vehicle.

The MQ-25 is the U.S. Navy's first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft and is designed to provide a much-needed refueling capability. The contract supports Boeing's engineering and manufacturing development program to provide four MQ-25 aircraft to the U.S. Navy for Initial Operational Capability by 2024.

Crane Aerospace & Electronics has been a long-term supplier to Boeing and the U.S. Navy, with over 70 years of experience in providing brake control systems to the aerospace industry. Crane Aerospace & Electronics has more than 30,000 systems in operation today, including on other Boeing defense products.

"The MQ-25 program is vital because it will help the U.S. Navy extend the range of the carrier air wing, and Boeing and our industry team is all-in on delivering this capability," said Dave Bujold, Boeing's MQ25 program director. "The work we're doing is also foundational for the future of Boeing – where we're building autonomous systems from seabed to space."