The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) remotely controlled a Boeing MQ-25A Stingray unmanned tanker over a distance exceeding 2,100 miles (3,379 km) during a milestone command connectivity test. Operating in the Pacific Ocean, the carrier established a beyond-line-of-sight link with the aircraft at Boeing’s Mascoutah, Illinois facility using an MD-5C Ground Control Station and a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network. The demonstration validates long-range satellite-based command architecture required to shift aerial refueling responsibilities from strike fighters to dedicated carrier-based unmanned aircraft. Read full defense news at this link...
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| The MQ-25A Stingray aims to extend the combat range and endurance of U.S. Navy carrier-based fighters by providing aerial refueling farther from aircraft carriers, freeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets from tanker duties for combat missions. (Picture source: Boeing) |