The US Navy awarded General Atomics a USD 1.204 Bn (EUR 1.12 Bn) contract modification on 7 June 2023 to build the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) for the future Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Doris Miller (CVN 81), Naval Air Systems Command reported the following day.
The contract includes AAG and EMALS production, shipset deliveries, engineering change orders, production incorporation of obsolescence mitigations, programme support, installation, and certification support for CVN 81 through to 2032, when Doris Miller is scheduled to be commissioned.
Captain Mike Kline, programme manager for the US Navy’s Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment Program Office (PMA-251), said the contract award is an important evolution in the future of launch and recovery for US naval aviation.
“As the fourth Ford-class aircraft carrier to enter the fleet, CVN 81 can lean on CVN 78’s experience and the lessons learned while advancing EMALS and AAG for the next generation of sailors,” he said.
EMALS and AAG certification on John F Kennedy (CVN 79) is currently underway, while system production on Enterprise (CVN 80) is near completion.
The lead carrier of the class, USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78), was commissioned in July 2017 and was the first US aircraft carrier to feature EMALS in place of the previous steam-powered catapult technology.
Production work for EMALS and AAG on the CVN 81 will begin immediately.
Peter Felstead
