The U.S. Navy announced that an aircraft carrier connected to and controlled an unmanned MQ-25A Stingray aerial refueler from more than 2,100 miles away, in what the service described as a historic naval aviation event.

The milestone occurred during a Preliminary Sea Trial aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), using the ship's Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System.

"The MQ-25A Stingray's carrier-based refueling capabilities enable F/A-18 Super Hornets to fly farther and longer," said Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao.

Source: U.S. Navy