USS Theodore Roosevelt Is The First Carrier With A Drone Control Center Ready For MQ-25 Stingray Ops

Summary

The USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first U.S. Navy supercarrier with a fully operational Unmanned Air Warfare Center (UAWC) certified to support the MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone, according to a Pentagon Modernized Selected Acquisition Report dated April 21, 2026. The MQ-25 program has experienced substantial delays and cost overruns, with its initial operational capability date pushed back from an original 2024 target to July 2027 and now further delayed to February 2029, while the first production-representative aircraft only completed its maiden flight in April 2026. The control system for the MQ-25, known as the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System (UMCS) and developed primarily by Lockheed Martin, successfully established its first command-and-control connection with the drone in October 2025, representing a critical integration milestone. The Navy plans to acquire a total fleet of 76 Stingray drones, which will serve as aerial refueling platforms to extend the range of carrier-based aircraft and free up crewed F/A-18E/F Super Hornets from tanker duties, while also providing secondary intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Looking further ahead, the Navy envisions future carrier air wings becoming composed of 60 percent or more uncrewed platforms, with multiple defense contractors already developing concepts for carrier-based Collaborative Combat Aircraft designs.