US Navy awards Lockheed Martin $57 million MDCX contract to control MQ-25A tanker drones from aircraft carriers

The U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin Aeronautics a contract capped at $57.71 million to develop, qualify, and test Multi-Domain Combat eXchange (MDCX) software supporting the MQ-25A Stingray. About $14.124 million was obligated at award, with work scheduled through September 2027 in Marietta, Fort Worth, and Patuxent River. MDCX is intended to support mission planning and command-and-control functions for the MQ-25A from aircraft carriers, shore bases and expeditionary locations. The award funds software development and testing rather than additional MQ-25 aircraft.