Northrop Grumman
Corporation has selected Federal Equipment Company to
design and build the advanced weapons elevator for the new-generation
aircraft carrier, CVN 21.
Northrop Grumman's Newport News sector awarded the approximately
$50 million contract following a year-long design competition. During
this period, vendors refined their designs and built and tested a
full-scale, one-quarter load elevator drive. The preliminary design
competition concluded in early 2005, and Federal Equipment Company and
their technology partner, MagneMotion, were chosen to develop a
full-scale prototype elevator for land-based testing. Prototype
testing will be completed by late 2007, and they will begin to
manufacture the production units which are scheduled for shipboard
installation in mid-2010.