Northrop Grumman Selects Designer for CVN 21 Advanced Weapons Elevator

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.