The USS Theodore Roosevelt is now equipped with an Unmanned Air Warfare Center to support the Boeing-made MQ-25A, the first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft.
The MQ-25A is intended to relieve the Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornets of the aerial refueling role, freeing up F/A-18E/F aircraft to focus on strike missions.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt Unmanned Air Warfare Center became fully operational in March 2026, with another UAWC aboard the USS Ronald Reagan slated to be operational by the end of August 2026. The successful integration of the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System and the MD-5E Ground Control Station is critical to the unmanned aircraft refueler’s operations.
