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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 MQ-25A Stingray, the Navy's first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft. The MQ-25A, intended to relieve F/A-18 Super Hornets of aerial refueling duties, reached milestone C in May 2026, authorizing production and deployment. The UAWC aboard the Roosevelt became fully operational in March 2026, with the USS Ronald Reagan's center slated to be operational by the end of August 2026. The USS George H.W. Bush was the first carrier to test the UAWC in August 2024. The MQ-25 program, initiated with an $805 million contract in 2018, is estimated to cost about $13 billion for 72 aircraft. The Stingray completed a successful test flight in April 2026.
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 Moves Toward Deployment
In May, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao announced during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that the MQ-25A had entered 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, allowing the F/A-18E/F aircraft to focus on strike missions.
Pentagon Report Confirms Milestone
A memo dated April 21, 2026, recently published by the Pentagon within a Modernized Selected Acquisition Report and first reported by The War Zone, 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."
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, which occurred 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 refueler's operations.
Program Timeline and Milestones
- May 2026: The Stingray reached Milestone C, authorizing the program to transition from the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase 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 behind schedule, the Stingray completed an approximately two-hour flight around Mascoutah, Illinois, moving closer to operational capability.
Outlook
With the USS Theodore Roosevelt now capable of supporting MQ-25 operations, the deployment of the unmanned refueling drone appears to be only a matter of time.
About the Author: Claire Barrett is an editor and military history correspondent for Military Times. She is also a World War II researcher.
Source
Defense NewsWestern
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USS Theodore Roosevelt First Carrier with MQ-25 Stingray Drone Control Center