AAG is a modular, integrated system consisting of energy absorbers, power conditioning equipment and digital controls, which was designed to replace the existing MK-7 arresting gear. The AAG architecture, Health Monitoring and Prognostics technology and digital control system provides built-in test and diagnosis, resulting in the system requiring less maintenance and manpower to operate than the Mk-7. This change in architecture is designed to provide higher reliability and safety margins, while allowing Sailors to focus on other areas of need. The system is also designed to allow potential arrestment of a broader range of aircraft, from the lightest unmanned aerial vehicles to the heaviest manned fighters.

AAG benefits:

• Employs advanced technologies to provide higher reliability and safety margins
• Requires less maintenance and manpower to operate than the legacy arresting system
• Recovers all current and projected future carrier-based aircraft, from the lightest unmanned aerial vehicles to the heaviest manned fighters
• Allows for increased sortie rates, lower energy consumption and a decreased gross ship weight

NAWCAD Lakehurst provides the unique facilities and subject matter expertise required to support testing of the next generation arresting gear. Lakehurst is home to the Jet Car Track Site (JCTS) and the Runway Arrested Landing Site (RALS), both of which enable in-depth system testing to ensure AAG meets fleet requirements.

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is home to two single-wire, ship-representative AAG systems. One of these systems is located at the Lakehurst JCTS test facility and is utilized for arrestment testing with dead-loads that simulate fleet aircraft; while the other AAG single-wire system is located at the Lakehurst RALS test facility, where integration testing with manned aircraft is conducted. 

As of December 2023, the AAG system installed at NAWCAD Lakehurst's Jet Car Track Site, has conducted 3,048 successful dead-load arrestments, with engagement speeds up to 150 knots, or as much as 175 mph, and with deadload weights up to 70,000 pounds. The AAG JCTS test facility also successfully conducted eight Barricade Net integrated test arrestments utilizing both jet and propeller type airframes. At the Lakehurst Runway Arrested Landing Site, the installed AAG system has successfully completed 1,704 manned aircraft traps of F-35C, F/A-18E/F, EA-18G, C-2A, E-2C, E2-D and T-45 type model series aircraft. AAG testing, at both test facilities, has included nominal traps, off-center and skew engagements and various degraded mode-type traps, in which faults are intentionally injected into the system to cause subcomponent failures to assess the system's redundancy and resilience under non-optimal conditions. Data from the NAWCAD Lakehurst AAG land-based system testing was utilized to support development of Aircraft Recovery Bulletins to support aircraft recovery operations for the C-2A, E-2C, E-2D, T-45, F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft aboard Ford Class Aircraft Carriers. During USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) Independent Steaming Events, Post Delivery Test and Trial (PDT&T) underway periods and first deployment, the installed AAG three wire arresting system has “exceeded over 20,000 fixed wing arrestments.