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USS Theodore Roosevelt becomes first carrier with built-in Unmanned Air Warfare Center
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The USS Theodore Roosevelt has become the first U.S. Navy aircraft carrier equipped with a fully operational Unmanned Air Warfare Center (UAWC) to support the Boeing MQ-25A Stingray, the Navy's first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft. The MQ-25A, cleared for low-rate initial production and deployment in May 2026, is designed to relieve F/A-18 Super Hornets of aerial refueling duties, allowing them to focus on strike missions. The UAWC, which includes the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System and MD-5E Ground Control Station, was first installed and tested on the USS George H.W. Bush in August 2024. The USS Ronald Reagan is slated to have its UAWC operational by the end of August 2026. The MQ-25 program, initiated with an $805 million contract in 2018, achieved Milestone C in May 2026, transitioning from development to production and deployment after nearly eight years.
Source report
The USS Theodore Roosevelt has become the first Navy carrier equipped with an Unmanned Air Warfare Center (UAWC) designed to support the Boeing-made MQ-25A Stingray, the first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft.
MQ-25A Deployment Progress
In May, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao announced during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that the MQ-25A was moving into low-rate initial production and the deployment phase.
The aircraft is intended to relieve the Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornets of aerial refueling duties, freeing up F/A-18E/F aircraft to focus on strike missions.
Key Milestones
- April 21, 2026: A memo detailing the UAWC milestone was published by the Pentagon within a Modernized Selected Acquisition Report, first reported by The War Zone.
- March 2026: The USS Theodore Roosevelt UAWC "became the first fully operational/deployable MQ-25 capable aircraft carrier," according to the report.
- August 2026: The UAWC aboard the USS Ronald Reagan is slated to become operational/deployable by the end of the month.
- August 2024: The Nimitz-class carrier USS George H.W. Bush became the first aircraft carrier to have the UAWC installed and tested.
Technical Systems
According to the Navy, the integrated Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System and the MD-5E Ground Control Station are the systems required for MQ-25 air vehicle command and control, and are critical to the unmanned aircraft refueler's operations.
Program History
- May 2026: The Stingray reached Milestone C, authorizing the program to transition from engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) into production and deployment — a process nearly eight years in the making.
- 2018: Boeing and the Navy signed an $805 million contract covering the design, development, fabrication, test, and delivery of four Stingray aircraft. The service estimated the full program would cost approximately $13 billion for 72 aircraft.
- April 25, 2026: Despite its first test flight running a year later than planned, the Stingray completed an approximately two-hour flight around Mascoutah, Illinois, moving closer to operability.
Outlook
With the USS Theodore Roosevelt now capable of supporting MQ-25 operations, deploying the unmanned refueling drone appears to be only a matter of time.
Claire Barrett is an editor and military history correspondent for Military Times. She is also a World War II researcher with an affinity for Sir Winston Churchill and Michigan football.
Source
Defense NewsWestern
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USS Theodore Roosevelt First Carrier with MQ-25 Stingray Drone Control Center