The Boeing Company, in collaboration with the U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin, has successfully established a beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) satellite command-and-control (C2) link between the MQ-25A Stingray and a production MD-5C control station aboard the USS Ronald Reagan. This test, conducted while the ship operated both at port and at sea, validated an end-to-end BLOS C2 capability over the Navy’s operational C4I network, allowing shipboard teams to monitor and command the MQ-25A from an aircraft carrier.
The MQ-25A, stationed at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, used a Skyhook antenna to connect with the SpaceX satellite constellation. Command and control protocols were routed through U.S. Navy spaceborne and terrestrial networks to the MD-5C control station aboard the USS Ronald Reagan. Navy air vehicle pilots aboard the ship monitored system status, performed operational checks, and safely handed control back to the MidAmerica team.
The tests confirmed a sustained BLOS link, safe handoff procedures, and command latency consistent with operational requirements. This demonstration is part of a series of exercises aimed at validating procedures, networks, and interfaces ahead of a risk reduction flight-test program that will include carrier at-sea operations.