Navy photograph

The Navy’s Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) program reaches a milestone with the first recovery of a manned aircraft, an F/A-18E Super Hornet, March 31 at the Runway Arrested Landing Site (RALS) at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in N.J. The aircraft performed additional roll-ins, at speeds up to 105 knots, enabling the AAG test team to assess the system’s response and compare it with data from earlier developmental testing, which used aircraft-representative dead-load vehicles. The AAG is concurrently being installed and tested aboard the future Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) in Newport News, Va. The system provides the capability to recover a broader range of carrier-based aircraft while reducing manning and maintenance requirements. “This historic event is the next step toward validating AAG’s performance and is the direct result of the diligent efforts from a dedicated and innovative team,” said Capt. Steve Tedford, program manager of the Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment program office (PMA 251).