An artist’s conception of an installed Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) on a U.S. carrier. General Atomics Image
This post has been updated to include a more complete explanation of the design flaw the Navy discovered in the AAG.
The Navy is electing to use the controversial Advanced Arresting Gear on its next Gerald R. Ford-class carrier, John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), USNI News has learned. Read More
Aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) sits pier side in the early morning light at Newport News Shipbuilding in 2014. US Navy Photo
Radar maker Raytheon has been awarded a $92 million contract to develop a new Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar for the U.S. Navy’s new Ford-class carrier fleet and big deck amphibious warships, company officials told USNI News on a Monday conference call. Read More
Rear Adm. Brian Antonio assumed command of the Program Executive Office Aircraft Carriers in a ceremony today at the Washington Navy Yard. US Navy photo.
Rear Adm. Brian Antonio today relieved Rear Adm. Tom Moore as the new program executive officer for aircraft carriers, after Moore held that position for five years. Read More
An artist’s conception of an installed Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) on a U.S. carrier. General Atomics Image
The Navy could consider using a different system to catch incoming aircraft on its next generation of Gerald R. Ford-class (CVN-78) of aircraft carriers after the costs for the General Atomics-built Advanced Arresting Gear have more than doubled, USNI News has learned. Read More
F/A-18E Super Hornet lands with the Advanced Arresting Gear at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, in Lakehurst, New Jersey, on March 31, 2016. US Navy Photo
The Navy’s next generation of landing system for its Gerald Ford-class aircraft carrier successfully trapped its first aircraft last week. Read More
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (Nov. 17, 2013) Pre-Commissioning Unit Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) transits the James River during the ships launch and transit to Newport News Shipyard pier three for the final stages of construction and testing. The Ford was christened Nov. 9, 2013, and is currently under construction at Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipyard (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Aidan P. Campbell/Released)
The Navy will begin testing manned airplanes on its Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) at a New Jersey test site in February and will complete testing on all type/model/series in the months after the new carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is delivered, Navy officials said on Thursday. Read More
The aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) floats in the James River in 2013. Newport News Shipbuilding Photo
Sea trials for the first-in-class nuclear carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) could be pushed back up to six to eight weeks due to a slip in the testing schedule, the Navy announced late Tuesday. Read More
A screen grab of a Huntington Ingalls Industries’ video of the keel laying of nuclear carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN-79). HII Image
Shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) laid the keel for the second Ford-class nuclear aircraft carrier — John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) — in a Saturday ceremony at the company’s Newport News, Va. shipyard. Read More
A unit for the future aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) rests on the assembly platen at Newport News Shipbuilding on March 5, 2014. US Navy Photo
Lawmakers are considering lowering the congressional cost cap for the second Ford-class aircraft carrier, John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), to a dollar figure the Navy says it cannot commit to. Read More
An E/A-18G Growler attached to the Wizards of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 133 launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) on April 20, 2015. US Navy photo.
The new class of Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) aircraft carriers, with its software-driven Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) and Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), will put so much less stress on aircraft that Navy engineers will be able to think about future aircraft design in a whole new way, the Navy’s director of air warfare told reporters Monday. Read More
