THE US Navy and Boeing manoeuvred the Boeing-owned T1 test asset on a US Navy aircraft carrier for the first time late in 2021 as part of work to integrate the MQ-25 unmanned aerial refueller into future carrier operations. Navy flight deck directors aboard the USS George H W Bush (CVN 77) used standard hand signals to direct T1 just like any other carrier-based aircraft. A Boeing MQ-25 deck handling operator (DHO) commanded the aircraft using a new handheld deck control device. The demonstration was intended to ensure the MQ-25 will successfully integrate into the carrier environment, and to evaluate the deck handling system's functionality, capability and handling qualities in day and night conditions. Manoeuvres included deck taxiing, connecting to the catapult, clearing the landing area, and parking. Boeing MQ-25 chief engineer Jim Young said: "The navy has a rigorous, well-established process for moving aircraft on the carrier. Our goal was to ensure the MQ-25 fits into the process without changing it." DHOs trained in Boeing's deck handling simulation lab in St Louis, Missouri, to practise entering commands into the handheld device.
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