AeroAstro Professor of the Practice Eric Evans recently participated in an at-sea visit to the USS Nimitz, the lead ship of the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Prof. Evans and a group from the Defence Science Board, a group for which Evans serves as co-Chair, observed launches and landings for F-18s and E-2D aircraft from the carrier deck.
The group met with sailors across roles on the carrier, and visited the air operations center. They explored the sensing data and decision-making tools that perform critical operations during missions. Visits like these are an important part of improving current and future DSB studies as well as research within the MIT School of Engineering and MIT Lincoln Laboratory.
Beyond the technology, Evans appreciated the opportunity to watch ship operations in action, remarking that “the sailors on these ships are real heroes.”
