San Diego’s General Atomics has been awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build an electromagnetic aircraft launch and recovery system for the Navy’s fourth Ford-class nuclear aircraft carrier.
The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) will be built for the USS Doris Miller, which is set to begin construction in 2026.
The technology is used to launch a variety of aircraft from the flight decks of supercarriers, as well as perform smooth deceleration of landing aircraft.
The system was famously criticized by former President Trump, who said it was too complicated and called for the Navy to bring back century-old steam technology.
General Atomics installed the first system on the USS Gerald Ford and work is underway for the future USS John F. Kennedy and USS Enterprise.
“From coast to coast, our employees, subcontractors, and suppliers are excited to begin work delivering these critical launch and recovery technologies to the fourth carrier in the Ford-class,” stated Scott Forney, president of the company’s Electromagnetic Systems division.
General Atomics reported last year that over 10,000 successful catapult launches and arrested landings had been completed aboard the USS Gerald Ford by using EMALS and AAG.
