Navy aircraft launch and recovery systems progress through tests
NewsJuly 31, 2018
NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. The U.S. Navy reports that its Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) continue to progress through comprehensive test programs.
Capt. Steve Tedford, former Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (PMA 251) program manager, said of the EMALS and AAG tests: “Data from shipboard testing indicates that both EMALS and AAG have demonstrated improved reliability projections over the solely land-based testing." Tedford went on to explain that the EMALS and AAG teams, along with industry partner General Atomics, have developed numerous engineering changes to support the systems’ continued maturity and reliability growth.
Single-day shipboard operations show that both systems are capable of meeting operational requirements, according to Navy officials.
To date, sailors from the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) have been trained on EMALS and AAG, with curriculum development and system-specific course instruction conducted by the General Atomics and Navy team.
