The Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) Program Office (PMA-251) is leading the Navy and Marine Corps’ charge to enhance launch and recover tracking through digital application development.  

Tasked with managing launch and recovery systems on land and at sea across the globe, Capt. Mike Kline, PMA-251 program manager, is focused on helping warfighters acquire efficient ALRE system management while keeping a focus on safety. 

Commander Naval Air Forces and Headquarters Marine Corps have brought a heightened awareness to Naval Aviation safety to prevent mishaps. In response, the Naval Aviation Enterprise has been improving safety management processes, tools and methods to be more data driven. Several pilot programs are underway to test and mature these new approaches. One of the four pilots is spearheaded by the Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) Program Office (PMA-251).

The Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) Program Office (PMA-251) Recovery team will soon begin manufacturing and testing prototypes of upgraded components that control recovery operations on Nimitz-class ships.

The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman a $34.7-million contract for the Advanced Recovery Control (ARC) Block Upgrade prototype manufacturing and testing phase on June 13.

ALRE is working to improve Nimitz-class carrier support by making holistic changes to the way all launch and recovery products and systems are tracked and planned. 

By reexamining relationships with external ALRE stakeholders and ship availability schedules, product teams are improving scheduling and embracing new rigor in getting parts, services, and systems to the warfighter when and where they’re needed.  

Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) achieved 10,000 aircraft launches and recoveries aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) on June 25.

The landmark launch and arrestments were made on Ford's Friends and Family Day, where guests were present to watch flight deck demonstrations and experience a day out at sea. 

Expeditionary Airfield (EAF) Landing Systems teams from the Aircraft Launch and Recovery (ALRE) Program Office (PMA-251) are testing solutions that will make Marines’ expeditionary landings easier and faster. 

ALRE’s EAF team spent two years searching for a reliable replacement for AM2 Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) matting, which has been in service since the 1960s. While AM2 remains a viable solution, it’s heavy, time-consuming to install, and challenging to deliver to austere environments.  

Sailors supporting launch and recovery operations aboard USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78) celebrated a major training milestone this week.

Ten trainees were the first to graduate the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) Carrier Aviation Boatswain Mate Equipment (ABE) C-school using the Multipurpose Reconfigurable Training System (MRTS 3D) at Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT) Unit Norfolk, Sept. 21, 2021.

When facing emergency landing conditions, aviators and aircrew have long relied on time-tested training, procedures, and equipment to make perilous moments as safe as possible. 

As the Navy adapts to the CMV-22B Osprey as its carrier onboard delivery (COD) platform, many new procedures need to be created and approved from the ground up. Unlike previous V‑22 variants, there were no standardized crash equipment available on a carrier to protect the CMV-22B during emergency landings. 

Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) and Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) achieved 8,000 aircraft recoveries and launches aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) on April 19, during the final independent steaming event of her 18-month Post Delivery Test & Trials (PDT&T) period.

Capt. Kenneth Sterbenz, Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) program manager (PMA-251) for EMALS and AAG, said ALRE finished PDT&T strong, and they are ready for the next step, as Ford prepares for Full Ship Shock Trials, which is scheduled to begin summer 2021.

Expeditionary Airfield (EAF) Landing Systems teams from the Aircraft Launch and Recovery (ALRE) Program Office (PMA-251) had two action-packed weeks last month improving EAF landing systems at Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field Bogue, North Carolina, and the Airfield and EAF ALRE School in Pensacola, Florida.