Executive Summary: Boeing has received a $21.6 million contract modification from the U.S. Navy to support advanced cybersecurity certification efforts for the MQ-25A Stingray unmanned tanker program. The work focuses on validating secure cross-domain communications and mission management systems that will enable the aircraft to operate within increasingly complex and classified military networks.
The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), headquartered in Patuxent River, Maryland, has awarded Boeing a $21.62 million contract modification to support cybersecurity and mission systems certification activities for the MQ-25A Stingray program. According to the Department of Defense announcement, the modification adds engineering work, hardware procurement, and laboratory testing capabilities necessary to validate critical security components of the aircraft’s mission management architecture.
The effort specifically supports certification of the mission management system computer’s Multi-Level Security (MLS) Switch and MLS Guard technologies against standards established by the National Cross Domain Strategy and Management Office (NCDSMO). The testing is intended to support National Security Agency (NSA) assessment requirements under Raise-the-Bar (RTB) Version 5.1 Increment 2 and Increment 3 security standards.
Deep Technical & Strategic Context Analysis
While the MQ-25A is widely recognized as the U.S. Navy’s first carrier-based unmanned aerial refueling aircraft, its strategic significance extends well beyond tanker operations. The platform is expected to become a critical node within future naval battle networks, sharing data between carrier strike groups, airborne assets, intelligence platforms, and command centers operating across multiple classification levels.
The latest contract highlights a growing Pentagon focus on secure cross-domain solutions. In military network architecture, a cross-domain solution allows information to move between networks operating at different security classifications while preventing unauthorized disclosure or compromise. As modern combat increasingly relies on distributed sensors, artificial intelligence, and collaborative targeting networks, the ability to securely transfer information between classified and less-classified environments has become a mission-critical capability.
The Multi-Level Security Switch and Guard being tested under this contract serve as digital gatekeepers within the MQ-25’s mission architecture. These systems inspect, filter, and validate data before it crosses security boundaries. Achieving NSA certification under Raise-the-Bar standards represents one of the most demanding cybersecurity benchmarks within the U.S. national security community.
From a procurement perspective, the modification was added to an existing contract that combines fixed-price-incentive-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee, and cost-plus-fixed-fee elements. Such hybrid structures are commonly used for advanced defense development efforts where technical risk remains significant. Fixed-price portions encourage cost control, while cost-reimbursable elements provide flexibility for complex engineering tasks where requirements may evolve during testing and certification.
The cybersecurity effort also reflects the Navy’s broader vision for integrating unmanned systems into future carrier air wings. Beyond aerial refueling, MQ-25 technologies are expected to inform future unmanned strike, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and collaborative combat aircraft concepts operating in contested Indo-Pacific environments.
Contract Breakdown & Details
Contract Value
- Contract Modification: P00091
- Award Value: $21,619,263
- Prime Contractor: Boeing, St. Louis, Missouri
- Original Contract Number: N00019-18-C-1012
- Contract Type: Fixed-price-incentive-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee, and cost-plus-fixed-fee modification
- Competition Status: Not competed
Scope of Work
The modification funds:
- Non-recurring engineering activities
- Cybersecurity certification support
- Hardware procurement
- Laboratory testing infrastructure
- Mission Management System security validation
- MLS Switch and MLS Guard certification testing
- NSA assessment support for cross-domain solutions
Program Objective
The effort supports:
- MQ-25A Stingray mission systems
- National Cross Domain Strategy and Management Office testing standards
- Raise-the-Bar Version 5.1 Increment 2 requirements
- Raise-the-Bar Version 5.1 Increment 3 requirements
- National Security Agency certification activities
Geographic Distribution of Work
Work will be performed across multiple U.S. defense and technology centers:
Location Share St. Louis, Missouri 53.5% Melbourne, Florida 25.0% El Segundo, California 18.0% Alameda, California 1.5% Pleasanton, California 1.0% Heath, Ohio 1.0% Funding Details
- Funding Source: Fiscal Year 2026 Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E), Navy
- Amount Obligated at Award: $15,633,634
- Expiration Status: Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year
Schedule
- Contracting Authority: Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)
- Contract Completion: December 2028
Why This Contract Matters
Although relatively modest in dollar value compared with major aircraft production awards, this modification addresses one of the most challenging aspects of next-generation military aviation: trusted data movement across classified networks. As the Department of Defense accelerates Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) initiatives and network-centric warfare concepts, cybersecurity certification has become as strategically important as traditional aircraft performance metrics.
For the MQ-25A program, successful completion of these certification efforts will help ensure the aircraft can securely participate in future naval combat networks while supporting the Navy’s long-term transition toward a more connected and increasingly autonomous carrier air wing.
