Summary and key points: The USS George HW Bush (CVN-77), the last Nimitz-class supercarrier, has been equipped with the world’s first Unmanned Aerial Warfare Center (UAWC). This upgrade allows the carrier to deploy the Boeing MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to take over the aerial refueling function of the F/A-18 Super Hornets, thus extending their service life. Some have started to refer to this as a type of drone aircraft carrier.

-The UAWC is equipped with the MD-5E Unmanned Carrier Aircraft Mission Control System (UMCS) ground control station, which allows aircraft pilots to control the MQ-25 directly from the carrier.

– The first at-sea tests of this system are planned for next year. The MQ-25 will initially focus on refueling, but could also be used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions in the future. This upgrade represents a significant step toward integrating unmanned systems into Carrier Air Wing and Carrier Strike Group operations and lays the foundation for future unmanned capabilities across the U.S. Navy’s carrier fleet.

Nimitz-class supercarrier equipped for future MQ-25 Stingray drone operations

A U.S. Navy Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has been upgraded with the “world’s first unmanned aerial warfare center (UAWC),” which will enable the carrier to operate the future Boeing MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aerial system (UAS), according to the Naval Air Systems Command. announced.

USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), the tenth and final Nimitz-class supercarrieris the first warship to be equipped with the UAWC. It was installed as part of a “multi-year, coordinated effort across multiple ship availability periods” that is consistent with the carrier’s “mission plan.” Once installed, the UAWC will enable Air Vehicle Pilots (AVPs) – also known as drone operators – to control Boeing-manufactured UAS directly from the warship.

The UAWC is equipped with software and hardware systems that include “the first fully functional and integrated unmanned carrier-borne mission control system (UMCS) MD-5E Ground Control Station (GCS),” a “system of systems” required to control the MQ-25 Stingray – the first carrier-based UAS fielded by the U.S. Navy.

The Stingray was developed to Aerial refueling on carrier aircraft and replaces the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet currently employed in this role, which represents 20 to 30% of their flight time, according to Aero TimeTransferring this role to UAS will help extend the life of the Navy’s Super Hornets.

Initial sea trials of the UAWC’s operational networks on CVN-77 are scheduled to begin next year. While the MQ-25 will initially be used for refueling, the drone could also be used for reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence (ISR) missions that enhance the capacity and versatility of the Carrier Air Wing (CVW) and Carrier Strike Group (CSG).

“This is the first time the AVPs of Unmanned Carrier-Launched Multi-Role Squadron (VUQ) 10 will pilot the MD-5 from an aircraft carrier. They will use the real GCS hardware and software aboard CVN 77 to communicate with a simulated aircraft in the laboratory at Pax River,” said Joe Nedeau, Unmanned Carrier Aviation (PMA-268) UMCS chief.

The US Navy’s current plans call for all Nimitz-class ships and Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier to finally be MQ-25 capable.

“The MQ-25 offers the right combination of refueling, autonomy and seamless carrier deck integration to achieve the US Navy’s objectives,” Boeing explained.

“CVN 77’s UAWC lays the foundation for how the U.S. Navy will operate and control unmanned aircraft and potentially other unmanned vehicles using UMCS,” added PMA-268 program manager Capt. Daniel Fucito. “These systems will initially support the MQ-25, but will also support future unmanned systems such as Collaborative Combat Aircraft, which make up the Air Wing of the Future.”

Aerial refueling from the MQ-25 T1 test aircraft was carried out with three carrier-based aircraft, including an F/A-18 Super Hornet, an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and an F-35C Lightning II.

Boeing’s own MQ-25 T1 test object served as the predecessor to the model aircraft for technical development, which is being produced under a 2018 contract.

The refueling drone has an overall length of 15.5 meters and a wingspan of 22.5 meters (unfolded) or 9.5 meters (folded). It is powered by a Rolls-Royce AE3700N engine, which enables a range of 500 nautical miles (580 miles) and can carry about 7,250 kg (16,000 pounds) of fuel.

About the author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a writer from Michigan. He has contributed for more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites with over 3,200 published articles in his twenty-year career as a journalist. He writes regularly about military equipment, weapons history, cybersecurity, politics and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Author for Forbes and Clearance jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciuYou can send an email to the author: (email protected).

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