A U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18C Hornet, assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 312, MCAS Beaufort catches an Aircraft Arresting System (AAS) cable during an annual certification Jan. 6, at Yokota Air Base, Japan. The AAS utilizes a ground cable and the arresting hooks attached to the tail of an aircraft to safely decelerate it. Photos by Machiko Arita/U.S. Air Force.

Aircraft Arresting Certification

Senior Airman Jacob Handler, 374th Civil Engineer Squadron power production journeyman, ensures precise spacing in-between cable donuts Jan. 6, prior to the annual certification test of the Aircraft Arresting System (AAS) at Yokota Air Base, Japan. The rubber donuts elevate the cable to the proper height, providing the correct distance for an aircraft to latch onto the cable in the event of an emergency landing.
A U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18C Hornet, assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 312, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, comes to a stop on the base flightline Jan. 6, during an annual certification test of the Aircraft Arresting System (AAS) at Yokota Air Base, Japan. An AAS can save lives in cases where a pilot is unable to stop their aircraft during landing. In those extreme cases, the arresting system initiates to also prevent any potential damage to the aircraft itself or other airfield equipment by stopping it on the runway.
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