# Project 3279 — Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System

**Program element:** 0207255N — MQ-25 Stingray  
**Project:** 3279  
**Component:** U.S. Navy  
**Appropriation:** 1319 — RDT&E, Navy  
**Budget Activity:** 7 — Operational System Development  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0207255N/3279  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0207255N

## Summary

Project 3279 — Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System requests $73.0M in FY2027, 14% of the $513.3M requested for program element 0207255N — a new start, with no prior-year and no current-year money. 1 R-2A activity decomposes the request, 1 new this cycle. Lockheed Martin is the largest named R-3 performer at $48.0M, 66% of the project's FY2027 R-3 total.

**Markets:** Uncrewed & Autonomy — matched on the project title only, and no market size is quoted.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 0.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 0.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 73.0 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 90.1 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 81.9 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 77.8 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 78.7 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 0207255N; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## What project 3279 buys

The Unmanned Carrier Aviation (UCA) Mission Control System (UMCS) program develops, modifies, builds, integrates, and installs control systems, afloat and ashore, required to operate the MQ-25A, Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and future unmanned systems. UMCS will have to modify existing systems or develop new capabilities to support the control of different unmanned systems. With limited space on the aircraft carriers, the control station software will be modified to enable control of multiple aircraft from a single cockpit. The Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System program includes what was previously identified as the Control System & Connectivity (CS&C) and Carrier Vessel, Nuclear (CVN) Integration (CVNI) Segments previously captured under the MQ-25 Development PU 3278. The UMCS program, PU 3279, is the system-of-systems required for MQ-25 vehicle and payload control both shipboard and shore based. UMCS consists of all ground and ship-based hardware, software, and networks associated with the planning and execution of flight operations and tactical missions. In addition to the Ground Control Station (GCS), consisting of Air Vehicle Pilot (AVP) workstations and servers, the UMCS program builds hardware to support line of sight (LOS) communications, beyond line of sight (BLOS) satellite communications (SATCOM), and integration with ship/shore-based systems. There are three variants of the GCS: MD-5C (CVN-based), MD-5D (Shore-based) and MD-5E (Embarkable system) for use on CVNs that do not yet have permanent GCS systems installed. UMCS leverages existing Programs of Record for network integration and LOS/BLOS communications and builds MQ-25 unique systems (e.g. an ARC-210 based LOS communication system and a Video Management System (VidMS) for AVO situational awareness). The GCS, with a dedicated manufacturer for the core component, allows for streamlined software development, supports multiple classification levels, and positions MQ-25A interoperability with other DoW systems. Hardware development and fabrication is one facet of the program. UMCS develops and integrates software and modifies several aircraft carrier spaces to install and integrate the GCS and communication systems, in support of MQ-25A test events and operations aboard select NIMITZ Class CVNs.

**R-3 lines of work:** Product Development.

## Named R-3 performers

| Performer | $M | Share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total |
|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin | 48.0 | 66% |
| NAWCAD | 21.3 | 29% |

> Budget-justification contract funding, not obligations. Shares need not reach 100% — unnamed and government work is in the denominator.

## Activities (R-2A) — 1

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unmanned Carrier Aviation (UCA) Mission Control System | 0.0 | 0.0 | 73.0 | new | [a0](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0207255N/3279/a0) |

> Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. In the request year they partition this project exactly; in earlier years they can under-cover it.

### Unmanned Carrier Aviation (UCA) Mission Control System — NEW START

Includes Government and Lockheed Martin software development to enable MQ-25A to the fleet. These funds support: -Software Development: Continued software development essential for supporting all flight tests leading to first deployment -Software Licensing: Procure and maintain EMD software licenses -System Administrator: Continued…

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/0207255N/3279/a0

## What is NOT on this page

Congressional marks, the R-2 mission description and acquisition strategy, the industry vs government split of the whole request, and related program elements are recorded at **program-element** grain — an NDAA mark lands on a PE, never on a project. They are at https://hitchintel.com/programs/0207255N.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Navy RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 0207255N project 3279 (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0207255N")`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*