Agreement will deliver hardware and software for electromagnetic launch system for Navy ships
NewsJune 07, 2018
Waltham, Mass. QinetiQ North America (QNA) announced that it has completed negotiations on a contract originally received from General Atomics (GA) in 2017 that arranges for delivery of control hardware and software for the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and the Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) to be installed on the Navy?s third Ford-class aircraft carrier, the future Enterprise (CVN 80).
EMALS is a type of aircraft launching system that propels carrier-based aircraft with a catapult that uses a linear-induction motor rather than a conventional steam piston; GA developed the EMALS system for the Navy's Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers.
QNA has worked with GA and the U.S. Navy by designing, manufacturing, and testing aircraft launch and arresting control hardware and software for the Ford-class aircraft carriers for more than 10 years. QNA has delivered product to the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, test site and to USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). QNA is currently in production on the second Ford-class aircraft carrier, the future John F. Kennedy (CVN 79).
“We are excited to once again work with General Atomics to deliver a third ship-set of control systems for the future Enterprise. Our team is proud that equipment designed and built at QNA is currently being used by U.S. sailors to launch and recover aircraft at sea. We look forward to providing the same high-quality product and service for the future Enterprise,” stated Andrew Courier, Vice President of Maritime at QinetiQ North America.
Hardware production and testing is slated to be performed at QNA’s new facility in Franklin, Massachusetts.
