The U.S. Navy has successfully installed the world’s first Unmanned Air Warfare Center (UAWC) on the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77). This significant advancement marks a critical step toward integrating UAS into carrier-based operations, starting with the MQ-25 Stingray.
The UAWC serves as the central hub where Air Vehicle Pilots (AVPs) will control the MQ-25’s airborne operations. This installation, part of a multi-year effort, was carefully coordinated across several ship availability periods and the carrier’s deployment schedule.
The UAWC includes the Navy’s first fully operational and integrated Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System (UMCS) MD-5E Ground Control Station (GCS). This system is essential for the command and control of the MQ-25, the Navy’s unmanned aircraft refueler, which will play a crucial role in extending the operational range and flexibility of the carrier air wing.
“CVN 77’s UAWC lays the foundation for how the U.S. Navy will operate and control unmanned aircraft, and perhaps other unmanned vehicles, with UMCS,” said Capt. Daniel Fucito, Unmanned Carrier Aviation Program Manager. He noted that while the system is designed to support the MQ-25, it also has the potential to integrate with future unmanned systems, including Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
Building the UAWC
The Ground Control Station (GCS) developed for the UAWC features Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works Multi-Domain Combat System (MDCX), providing the core power and capability behind the GCS. The hardware installed aboard CVN 77 serves as the baseline for similar systems planned for other carriers, including CVNs 70, 71 and 76, beginning in fiscal year 2025.
“The support we received from all the organizations was incredible,” said Gordon Carlon, acting PMA-268 UMCS CVN installation lead. “Our program is accomplishing things on a much faster timeline than any other normal start-up program.”
The installation of the UAWC was a complex endeavour involving collaboration between multiple Navy offices, commands, and contractors. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lockheed Martin, Naval Sea Systems Command, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and others worked together to integrate the UAWC into the carrier’s existing systems and networks.
Early next year, CVN 77 is set to conduct the first at-sea testing of the UAWC’s operational networks. This will build on initial testing conducted with a simulated GCS aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in January. During this phase, AVPs from Unmanned Carrier-Launched Multi-Role Squadron 10 will operate the MD-5 GCS hardware and software aboard CVN 77, communicating with a simulated air vehicle at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River laboratory.
PMA-268, as the lead systems integrator for the MQ-25, is working closely with Boeing and Lockheed Martin to ensure the seamless integration of the MQ-25 into carrier operations. The MQ-25’s aerial refuelling capability is expected to significantly enhance the operational range and mission flexibility of the Navy’s carrier air wings, representing a major advancement in naval aviation and unmanned systems.
Post Image – The first installation of the Unmanned Air Warfare Center (UAWC) aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), where air vehicle pilots will control future MQ-25™ Stingray airborne operations. (Post Image Credit: U.S. Navy)
