The United States Air Force (USAF) has recently released concept art of the AGM-181A Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) advanced stealth cruise missile, which will incorporate the W80-4 thermonuclear warhead.

To date, modern aircraft carriers operate using several advanced technologies including electromagnetic launch systems (aircraft catapult), found on the largest and most modern aircraft carrier in the world, the USS Gerald R. Ford.
Except for these systems, transferring aircraft, ammunition, and vehicles between the various decks (hangar) and the flight deck (take off/landing) also plays a significant role. This process is one of the most intricate and caution-sensitive operations performed on modern naval vessels such as aircraft carriers, helicopter carriers, and other amphibious warfare ships.
US L3HARRIS, with a great variety of products in the defence industry, has presented its own extensive experience in supplying handling equipment on ships for a wide variety of shipborne applications.
In fact, according to the company, its elevators are shock-qualified and can thus be used to safely transfer ammunition, food, waste and execute MEDEVAC (emergency evacuation) missions because of their main features, which include:
- Hydraulically or electrically operated
- Provided as an integrated system including fireproof, gas-tight, spray-tight doors and flight deck hatch
- Used up to sea state 6
- Shock-qualified
Regarding aircraft elevators, these are designed to transport aircraft and equipment between the hangar and the flight deck. Their main features include:
- Mobile safety nets, signalling lights, and lashing points integrated into platform design
- Automatic folding of the platform to reduce the ship breadth
- Used up to sea state 6 and shock-qualified
- Classification Society approved (RINA)
- Ability to lift up to 40 tons (Safe Working Load)
The use of modern elevators and vertical stores elevators on the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, according to the US Navy, has improved efficiency by two to three times compared to Nimitz-type aircraft carriers that use centralized storerooms and currently form the aircraft carrier backbone of the most powerful Navy on the planet. In addition to these, a reduction in the amount of personnel required to handle cargo has been achieved, since many of the tasks are now automated.
Also read: USS Harry Truman aircraft carrier in Adriatic Sea amid Russia – Ukraine tensions
READ MORE
Denmark | Strengthening Its Air Defence with NASAMS, VL MICA and IRIS-T SLM Systems
Denmark has decided to bolster its air defence by acquiring ground-based short-range missile systems of the NASAMS type, as well as the VL MICA and IRIS-T SLM systems.
France | Renault to Produce Drones in Ukraine
French car manufacturer Renault is set to establish facilities in Ukraine for the production of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), intended to…
LRSO | The US Air Force’s New Nuclear Strike Cruise Missile
The United States Air Force (USAF) has recently released concept art of the AGM-181A Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) advanced stealth cruise missile, which will incorporate the W80-4 thermonuclear warhead.
Denmark | Strengthening Its Air Defence with NASAMS, VL MICA and IRIS-T SLM Systems
Denmark has decided to bolster its air defence by acquiring ground-based short-range missile systems of the NASAMS type, as well as the VL MICA and IRIS-T SLM systems.
AI Fight Club | Lockheed Martin Seeks the Most “Lethal” Artificial Intelligence Systems for the Battlefield
In a notable initiative, Lockheed Martin is aiming to accelerate the full-scale development of artificial intelligence (AI) in operational settings through the creation of a virtual…
France | Renault to Produce Drones in Ukraine
French car manufacturer Renault is set to establish facilities in Ukraine for the production of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), intended to…
Venus Aerospace | Completion of Historic U.S. Hypersonic Engine Flight Test
Venus Aerospace, a Houston-based startup pioneering the future of high-speed flight, announced the successful completion of the first U.S. flight test of…
BAE Systems | Launch of $250 Million State-of-the-Art Shiplift and Land Level Ship Repair Facility in Jacksonville
BAE Systems has unveiled its new shiplift and land level repair complex during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the company’s shipyard in Jacksonville, Florida.