General Atomics has awarded a new $41m contract to QinetiQ North America (QNA) to support delivery of the US Navy's electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) and advanced arresting gear (AAG).
EMALS and AAG will be installed on the navy's second Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, John F. Kennedy (CVN 79).
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The new deal follows the initial $16m contract announced in December 2015, and will see QNA will deliver control hardware and software for the EMALS and AAG.
The contract involves a multi-year production task to update, procure, assemble and test launch control and arresting control hardware.
QNA Maritime Systems director Andrew Courier said: “We're pleased to once again have the opportunity to produce Launch and Recovery control equipment for another aircraft carrier, and appreciate the efforts of General Atomics in working with us to complete contract negotiations.
“EMALS and AAG will provide the US Navy with superior technology that will increase reliability, improve operational efficiencies and significantly decrease lifecycle costs.”
The QNA hardware and software for the EMALS and AAG will be developed and manufactured in the country’s facility in Waltham, Massachusetts.
QNA has provided General Atomics and the US Navy with hardware and software for the EMALS launch control system for more than a decade, in addition to delivering control hardware and software for the AAG system.
Both EMALS and AAG systems were deployed on the US Navy’s first Ford-class carrier, the re-commissioning unit Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).
Image: The US Navy’s John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) aircraft carrier. Photo: courtesy of PRNewsFoto / QinetiQ North America.
