Two aircraft carriers ‘ready to fly’ MQ-25 autonomous tanker: US Navy
A second ship has received a ground control station ahead of pending carrier flight trials.
The US Navy (USN) has installed a new control system for managing uncrewed aircraft on a second of its aircraft carrier ships.
Lockheed Martin’s MD-5C ground control system (GCS) will be used to operate Boeing’s MQ-25A Stingray autonomous refuelling drone, which will launch and recover from the carrier without any direct inputs from a remote pilot.
The first such system was first installed on the USS Theodore Roosevelt in March 2026, forming the nexus of the navy’s first carrier-based Unmanned Air Warfare Centre. Now, Lockheed and the navy say they have completed a second MD-5C installation aboard the USS Ronald Reagan.
“By pairing our unmanned systems with our manned aircraft, we are building a more resilient, adaptable force,” says Captain Daniel Fucito, the USN’s programme manager for uncrewed carrier aviation.
“These carriers are ready to fly the MQ-25A,” he adds.
It is not exactly clear when that milestone will occur. Boeing logged the first flight with a production model MQ-25A in April and made a largely ceremonial appearance with the autonomous refueller aboard the USS Nimitz as part of Washington’s sestercentennial celebrations in July.
Unmanned Air Warfare Centres onboard US Navy carriers will be used to manage flight operations for the MQ-25 tanker and future autonomous platforms. Source: Lockheed Martin
Boeing received the first low-rate initial production contract for MQ-25 Lot 1 aircraft in September. That deal was valued at $562 million, including some long-lead items for Lot 2 aircraft.
The company now has 14 of the uncrewed tanker jets under firm order out of an expected total USN fleet of 76, including 67 operational MQ-25s and nine test aircraft.
In June, Boeing’s defence chief Steve Parker said the manufacturer is “laser focused” on completing carrier flight trials and delivering the MQ-25 to the navy.
“[We’ve] got to go to the boat, prove it out, and give the navy the refuelling capability they need to take that task off the Super Hornet,” Parker said.
Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighters currently provide “buddy tanking” support to other aircraft in the carrier air wing, an arrangement which reduces combat aircraft available for sortie generation.
The MD-5C will help sailors oversee the MQ-25 as it performs those duties. The system is powered by Lockheed Martin’s MDCX mission-planning and execution software.
Although initially targeting the MQ-25, Lockheed says MDCX is an open-architecture command-and-control platform designed to support integration of multiple unmanned systems.
Initial operational capability, which the USN is defining as three combat-ready MQ-25 aircraft with trained personnel ready to deploy, is currently projected for 2029, according to fiscal year 2027 budget documents.
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