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. 

The Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) Program Office (PMA-251) Information Systems team is revolutionizing Navy and Marine Corps’ shipboard data management with the Marine Aviation Data Management System (MADMS).  

After several years of fleet feedback, design changes and adjustments, MADMS emerged a complete, integrated shipboard information system. It’s designed to digitally integrate operational systems, such as weapons, combat cargo, surface operations, shipboard planning, flight operations, and flight deck management. 

U.S. Navy and industry partners worked together to launch the first deadloads from the flight deck of PCU John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) on February 14.

The deadload testing yielded important performance data for the ship’s Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and marked the first of many test launches from the carrier as her Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) is commissioned.

Bill Hasegawa, Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) Program Office (PMA-251) Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Lead, received an elite French Médaille de l’Aéronautique recently for his accomplishment to aviation.

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.

The U.S. Navy awarded General Atomics a $1.204-billion contract modification June 7 to build the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) for the future USS Doris Miller (CVN 81).

The contract includes AAG and EMALS production, shipset deliveries, engineering change orders, production incorporation of obsolescence mitigations, program support, installation, and certification support for CVN 81 through 2032.

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. 

A first round of shipboard testing off the West Coast in January demonstrated that a team effort to increase warfighter capability by adding nighttime landing support for U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) F-35B flight operations on LHA(R) America-class Amphibious Assault ships succeeded brilliantly.

The Chief of Naval Operations Director for Expeditionary Warfare (OPNAV N95) and the Marine Corps in July 2021 determined the need to prepare Spot 9 on the aft flight deck as a second Unaided Night Landing Spot for the F-35B Lightning II.