Jerry Petersen
General Atomics‘ electromagnetic systems group has tested its Advanced Arresting Gear system on three types of heavy, propeller-driven aircraft at the Runway Arrested Landing Site in Lakehurst, N.J.
The company said Monday the arresting gear was able to perform aircraft recovery on a C2-A Greyhound, an E-2C+ Hawkeye and an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye.
Rolf Ziesing, vice president of programs at General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, said the present series of tests at RALS would continue throughout the summer, to be followed by another round of testing aboard the Gerald R. Ford.
GA-EMS, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, is testing the system to evaluate its ability to recover the various kinds of aircraft that operate aboard aircraft carriers.
The system is currently installed on the Gerald R. Ford, where it has been used on F-18 fighters 747 times, and plans are in place to install it on the carriers John F. Kennedy and Enterprise, which are currently being built.
