Navy will install AAG on CVN-79 instead of legacy Mk-7

The Navy will keep the Advanced Arresting Gear as the recovery system on the future John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) instead of reverting to the legacy Mk-7, the service announced Monday.

The decision was made after a thorough review by an AAG Resource Requirements Review Board in November 2016 and an independent review team chartered by former Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall, according to a Jan. 23 service statement.                         

"AAG works," Capt. Steve Tedford, Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment program manager, whose team manages the recovery system program, said in a statement. "The progress of AAG testing this past year has been significant and has demonstrated the system's ability to meet Navy requirements. The team overcame many challenges to get the system to this point and ensure its readiness to support CVN-78 and future Ford-class ships."