The U.S. Navy has authorized the USS Gerald R. Ford to use its recovery technology to retrieve propeller and fighter aircraft systems via an aircraft recovery bulletin. The Advanced Arresting Gear works to recover aircraft units, allow large safety margins and mitigate potential fatigue impact, maintenance and manpower needs, the Navy said Tuesday.
“The pace of system testing was consistently demanding and required numerous team members to perform their duties in difficult conditions and in all types of weather in order to meet critical program milestones leading up to these ARB releases,â€Â said Jeff Mclean, deputy program manager for AAG system design and development at the Navy.
Additionally, General Atomics has partnered with the service branch to perform system development tests and demonstration to validate if the AAG will meet stringent Navy safety standards prior to its deployment. The aircraft systems noted in the ARB include the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, E/A-18G Growler, E-2C Hawkeye, C-2A Greyhound and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye.
