MDCX by Skunk Works Successfully Controls First Boeing MQ-25A Flight

The MDCX command and control (C2) platform by Skunk Works was recently used to control the the U.S. Navy’s Boeing MQ-25A Stingray aircraft on its first flight.

The MDCX software platform was originally chosen as the ground control component for the MQ-25A in 2020, and it successfully controlled the aircraft during its first flight, taking off from MidAmerica St. Louis Airport.

This software platform is also a crucial basis for the Navy's Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System (UMCS) MD-5 Ground Control Station (GCS).

With the success of this flight, MDCX can now be used as the foundational C2 platform for the Navy's Air Wing of the Future.

"Today's successful first flight relied on the seamless integration between a MQ-25 aircraft and Lockheed Martin's ground control station," said Rear Adm. Tony Rossi, who oversees the Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons.

Rossi continued, "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."

"Our MDCX open architecture C2 solution integrated seamlessly with a Boeing MQ-25A, delivering secure UAV control for its first flight," said OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of Skunk Works.

Sanchez added, "This achievement is a result of our enduring partnership with the U.S. Navy to expand its capabilities and interoperability by enabling a single carrier-based command station to control multiple uncrewed vehicles to advance its Air Wing of the Future vision."

Skunk Works is part of Lockheed Martin.