Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG)
Carrier aircraft recovery system installed aboard Ford-class carriers.


Prime
General Atomics is a privately held defense and diversified technology company headquartered in San Diego, California.
Founded in 1955 as a General Dynamics division and acquired by the Blue family in 1986, it is a separate company from today’s General Dynamics. General Atomics and its affiliates work in unmanned aircraft, sensors, electromagnetic systems, power conversion, nuclear technology and fusion research. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems supplies remotely piloted aircraft and mission systems, while Electromagnetic Systems develops naval aircraft launch and recovery equipment and other advanced capabilities. Its research and commercial work extends beyond DoD. The corporate group and operating affiliates should be identified separately when attributing aircraft production, employment and awards.
| Fiscal year | Obligated | Actions | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 (to date) | $2.69B | 613 | 294 |
| FY2025 | $2.04B | 820 | 304 |
| FY2024 | $2.56B | 798 | 314 |
| FY2023 | $2.25B | 827 | 315 |
| FY2022 | $2.17B | 924 | 374 |
| FY2021 | $2.21B | 864 | 329 |
| FY2020 | $2.31B | 780 | 260 |
| FY2019 | $3.42B | 770 | 234 |
| FY2018 | $2.80B | 717 | 189 |
| FY2017 | $2.66B | 791 | 214 |
| FY2016 | $1.88B | 873 | 250 |
| FY2015 | $2.37B | 723 | 179 |
| FY2014 | $1.63B | 682 | 175 |
| FY2013 | $2.15B | 618 | 164 |
| FY2012 | $2.47B | 637 | 165 |
| FY2011 | $2.06B | 616 | 175 |
| FY2010 | $1.86B | 635 | 167 |
| FY2009 | $1.40B | 453 | 159 |
| FY2008 | $1.13B | 434 | 147 |
Only actions coded to a DoD acquisition program.
| Fiscal year | Obligated | Actions | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 (to date) | $495M | 218 | 141 |
| FY2025 | $400M | 227 | 115 |
| FY2024 | $240M | 235 | 128 |
| FY2023 | $456M | 196 | 93 |
| FY2022 | $229M | 215 | 97 |
| FY2021 | $261M | 200 | 83 |
| FY2020 | $446M | 166 | 65 |
| FY2019 | $617M | 134 | 45 |
| FY2018 | $621M | 126 | 29 |
| FY2017 | $341M | 102 | 29 |
| FY2016 | $319M | 156 | 61 |
| FY2015 | $362M | 137 | 40 |
| FY2014 | $178M | 121 | 35 |
| FY2013 | $211M | 111 | 32 |
| FY2012 | $234M | 149 | 49 |
| FY2011 | $312M | 140 | 51 |
| FY2010 | $474M | 168 | 56 |
| FY2009 | $372M | 147 | 56 |
| FY2008 | $215M | 192 | 70 |
Only actions coded to a DoD acquisition program.
Signed obligations on federal prime contracts (award types A–D) from USAspending, FY2008 through Oct 9, 2026. Obligations are money the government committed, not company revenue, and include de-obligations. Subcontracts and grants are excluded. Matching is by registered UEI. “Including subsidiaries” adds our listed subsidiaries (from their acquisition date, where known) and actions whose reported parent is this company.
Carrier aircraft recovery system installed aboard Ford-class carriers.
Newest unveiled first. Open a system for its milestone timeline, components and sources.
| Technology | Role | Maturity | TRL | Notes | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Directed energy | Developer | — | — | Publicly described capabilities; no product-wide maturity or TRL inferred. | Confirmed |
| Fusion energy | Developer | — | — | Publicly described capabilities; no product-wide maturity or TRL inferred. | Confirmed |
| ISR and targeting | Developer | — | — | Publicly described capabilities; no product-wide maturity or TRL inferred. | Confirmed |
| Uncrewed aircraft | Developer | — | — | Publicly described capabilities; no product-wide maturity or TRL inferred. | Confirmed |
Maturity and TRL describe this organization's work; the field-wide maturity is on each technology's page.
| Facility | Kind | Location | Work | Status | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego headquarters | Headquarters | San Diego, California, United States | — | Operating | Confirmed |
| DIII-D National Fusion Facility | Lab | San Diego, California, United States | Magnetic-confinement fusion research facility operated by General Atomics for the U.S. Department of Energy. Source ↗ | Operating | Confirmed |
| Magnet Technologies Center | Factory | Poway, California, United States | Designs and fabricates low-temperature and high-temperature superconducting magnets, including components for large fusion projects. Source ↗ | Operating | Confirmed |
Use the official careers site for current openings and application requirements.
Defense News · Aug 26, 2026 · Supports Organization
“tistic rendering depicts GA-TES at a notional military installation. (General Atomics)”
U.S. Government Publishing Office · Dec 18, 2025 · Supports System
“116 ADVANCED ARRESTING 4,484 4,484 GEAR (AAG).”
Naval Air Systems Command · Supports System · description, System · organization
“AAG is a modular, integrated system installed aboard USS Gerald R. Ford and designed as the follow-on to the Mark-7 arresting gear.”
Supports Organization, Organization technology
“GA is the principal private sector participant in fusion research through its internationally recognized”
www.ga.com · Supports Facility
www.ga.com · Supports Facility
Identifiers are matched to this legal entity; related companies may hold different registrations.
Each fact on this page is attached to the sources that support it. Archived copies are linked when we keep one.