Navy Doubles MQ-25A Stingray Carrier Fleet in Five Months
Palmdale, Calif. – September 30, 2026 -- The U.S. Navy has doubled its fleet capacity to operate the MQ-25A Stingray unmanned aircraft system over a five-month period, standing up a second operational MD-5C Ground Control Station powered by Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works MDCX autonomy platform.
USS Ronald Reagan joins USS Theodore Roosevelt as second carrier ready to fly the Stingray
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) received the first operational MD-5C in March 2026, followed by USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) in August 2026. The MD-5C, installed in the Unmanned Air Warfare Center aboard each carrier, functions as the dedicated onboard command center for unmanned carrier aviation, combining a government Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence network with Lockheed Martin's MDCX software and hardware and additional government-produced ancillary equipment.