Rear Adm. Tony Rossi

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U.S. Navy doubles drone command capacity with second MD-5C ground control station

As of October 2026: Leading MQ-25 integration into carrier operations

The U.S. Navy stood up its second operational MD-5C ground control station in five months, doubling how many MQ-25A Stingray tanker drones it can fly at once. The station runs on MDCX, the command-and-control software platform built by Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works division.

Updated Oct 1

Notable Quotes

Today's successful first flight relied on the seamless integration between a MQ-25 aircraft and Lockheed Martin's ground control station. This milestone proves the strength of our partnership in developing the command-and-control infrastructure necessary to operate unmanned platforms safely and effectively from our carriers.

from U.S. Navy doubles drone command capacity with second MD-5C ground control station · Updated Oct 1