BREMERTON, Wash. — The U.S. Navy has completed installation of an Unmanned Air Warfare Center (UAWC) aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), making it the second aircraft carrier equipped to operate the MQ-25A Stingray unmanned aerial refueling aircraft.
The installation was completed in August by the Navy’s Unmanned Carrier Aviation Program Office (PMA-268). USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) became the first carrier to receive an operational UAWC installation in March 2026.
11 Ship Modifications Completed in 17 Months
The Navy used an accelerated installation approach aboard Ronald Reagan. Instead of completing the required modifications in phases over several years, crews completed all 11 modifications during a single 17-month period.
The work was conducted during the carrier’s scheduled dry-dock maintenance availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. The availability began in March 2025, and the carrier departed the shipyard for sea trials on September 3, 2026.
Capt. Daniel Fucito, PMA-268 program manager, said:
“With each new install and milestone, we are closing the gap for our warfighters to give them the capability, capacity, and lethality they need to win the fight.”
UAWC and MD-5C Control System
The UAWC serves as the shipboard control center for the MQ-25A and houses the MD-5C Ground Control Station used to command the aircraft.
The MD-5C combines the Navy’s command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) networks with Lockheed Martin’s MDCX software and hardware. MDCX supports mission planning and execution and works with additional government-built equipment to provide data links between the ship and aircraft.
The Navy has also developed shore-based, at-sea and expeditionary versions of the MD-5 system, allowing the MQ-25A to be operated from different locations. The UAWC is also designed to support future unmanned carrier aircraft.
The next step for Ronald Reagan will be pier-side and at-sea testing. The ship’s crew and PMA-268 team will verify the installed hardware and network systems required to communicate with the MQ-25A.
MQ-25A Stingray Refueling Mission
Built by Boeing, the MQ-25A is designed to perform aerial refueling missions currently carried out by F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. Moving the refueling mission to an unmanned aircraft is intended to free the fighters for other combat missions while extending the range of the carrier air wing.
The MQ-25A is the Navy’s first operational unmanned aircraft designed to launch and recover from an aircraft carrier. It is about 51 feet long, has a 75-foot wingspan and can carry up to 16,000 pounds of fuel for receiving aircraft as far as 500 nautical miles from the carrier.
Program Development and Production
The MQ-25A program has experienced schedule changes. A test aircraft first flew in 2019, while the first production-representative aircraft completed its initial flight on April 25, 2026, at Boeing’s facility at MidAmerica Airport in Illinois.
In May 2026, the program received Milestone C approval, allowing it to enter low-rate initial production.
The Navy plans to acquire 76 MQ-25A aircraft. In September, the Navy awarded Boeing a $562 million contract for the first three low-rate initial production aircraft, with deliveries expected to begin in 2029.
The MQ-25A is scheduled to move to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, later in 2026 to prepare for carrier qualification testing.
IOC Timeline
The Navy originally planned to achieve initial operational capability (IOC) in 2026. The Navy defines IOC as three fully operational MQ-25A aircraft, trained crews and a capable carrier ready to deploy.
However, manufacturing delays and carrier availability have affected the schedule. A Pentagon assessment in April indicated that IOC could shift to 2029.
The Ronald Reagan installation follows an earlier test installation of a UAWC aboard USS George H.W. Bush in 2024. The operational installations aboard Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan now provide the shipboard command-and-control infrastructure needed as the Navy prepares to integrate the MQ-25A into fleet operations.
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