General Atomics (GA) has received a sole source production contract modification for advanced arresting gear (AAG) for the US Navy’s third future Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN 80).

GA has now become the sole source provider of AAG as a result of the deal, as well as the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) for the first three Ford-class vessels, known as Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) and Enterprise (CVN 80) respectively.

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General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) will deliver all production, manufacturing, engineering, design and programme management, logistics support, and information assurance under the arrangement,

The company will also subcontract to suppliers across the US for necessary component manufacturing support.

GA-EMS president Scott Forney said: “This contract strengthens our ability to provide the navy with optimised production schedules to successfully deploy and maintain AAG and EMALS on the carriers as they serve our nation over the next 50-plus years.”

"This contract strengthens our ability to provide the navy with optimised production schedules to successfully deploy and maintain AAG and EMALS on the carriers."

GA’s AAG has successfully undergone aircraft fly-in arrestment trials at the Runway Arrested Landing Site at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.

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GA-EMS Programmes vice-president Rolf Ziesing said: “We are extremely proud to be part of a programme that is delivering first-of-a-kind aircraft launch and recovery technologies to the first three, most advanced carriers scheduled to join the fleet in the past 40 years.”

The AAG is installed and currently undergoing testing on-board CVN 78, and work on USS Enterprise (CVN 80) is slated to commence before the end of the year.

The company previously secured the sole source production contract modification for the EMALS for Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN 80) in January.

Image: A rendering of the Enterprise (CVN 80). Photo: courtesy of Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.

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