Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG)

The Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) program will retrofit and forward fit Navy aircraft carriers with an electric motor based system that will replace the current MK 7 hydraulic system for aircraft deceleration during recovery operations. AAG allows arrestment of a broader range of aircraft, reduces manning and maintenance, and provides higher reliability and safety margins. GA’s design replaces the mechanical hydraulic ram with rotary engines using simple, proven energy-absorbing water turbines coupled to a large induction motor, providing fine control of the arresting forces.

• The system provides significant benefits over current recovery systems
• Operational capability to recover projected air wing, with renewed service life margins
• Full compatibility with CVN 68-class and CVN 21-class carriers
• Higher availability
• Self-diagnosis and maintenance alerts
• Reduced manning and Total Ownership Cost (TOC)

GA, as the system prime contractor, has assembled a team to design, develop and build this system for prototype testing at the Naval Air Engineering Station (NAES), Lakehurst N.J. beginning in late 2009. Included on this team are the FMI Division of Qinetiq, Curtiss-Wright Electro-Mechanical, ESCO Corporation, ITT Corporation, and Alion Science. The GA team completed a competitive technology demonstration phase and, in 2005, was awarded the follow-on System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase. In 2007 the team completed the Critical Design Reviews and began assembling full-scale prototype system components for reliability testing, which began in 2008. This system, designed to replace the current MK 7 arresting gear system, will eventually be installed on the new Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) class aircraft carrier. It will also be installed on USS Nimitz (CVN 68) class aircraft carriers.

The GA team is assembling full-scale prototype system components for testing

AAG TEAM MEMBERS
Team Member		Expertise
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems Group		Systems Integration, Cable Drum and Cable Shock Absorber, Power Electronics/ Controls/Software, Arresting Controls Software, System Health Monitoring, Test Site Design/Integration
Curtiss-Wright Electro-Mechanical Corporation		Electric Motor
Alion Science and Technology		Shipboard Integration, Thermal Systems, Electric Power
Foster Miller		Control Workstations
ESCO Corporation		Water Twister and Mechanical Brake Systems
ITT Corporation		Naval System Logistics

For more information, contact:
Mark Tabor, Program Manager
Mark.Tabor@ga.com