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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 built-in Unmanned Air Warfare Center (UAWC) to support the Boeing-made MQ-25A Stingray, the 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, recently completed a successful test flight in Illinois.
Source report
The USS Theodore Roosevelt has become the first U.S. Navy aircraft carrier equipped with an Unmanned Air Warfare Center (UAWC) designed to support the Boeing-made MQ-25A Stingray, the Navy's 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 had moved into the low-rate initial production and deployment phase.
The MQ-25A 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.
Pentagon Report Details
A memo dated April 21, 2026, recently published by the Pentagon within a Modernized Selected Acquisition Report, notes that in March 2026, the USS Theodore Roosevelt's UAWC "became the first fully operational/deployable MQ-25 capable aircraft carrier." The report also states that another UAWC aboard the USS Ronald Reagan is slated "to be operational/deployable at the end of [August] 2026."
The report was first covered by The War Zone.
Background on UAWC Development
The Nimitz-class carrier USS George H.W. Bush was the first aircraft carrier to have the UAWC installed and tested, back in August 2024.
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 Milestones
In May, the Stingray reached Milestone C, which in the defense acquisition process authorizes a program to transition from the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase into production and deployment. This milestone came nearly eight years after the program's inception.
Key contract details include:
- 2018: Boeing and the Navy signed an $805 million contract covering the design, development, fabrication, test, and delivery of four Stingray aircraft.
- Estimated total program cost: Approximately $13 billion for 72 aircraft, according to previous Military Times coverage.
- First test flight: Completed on April 25, 2026 — approximately a two-hour flight around Mascoutah, Illinois — running one year later than originally planned.
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
Military TimesWestern
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USS Theodore Roosevelt First Carrier with MQ-25 Stingray Drone Control Center