Shipboard Machinery & Systems - The Entwistle Company

Shipboard Machinery & Systems

Leveraging Entwistle’s unique combination of manufacturing capabilities with design engineering and system integration knowledge, the Company produces ready-to-use components and systems for the U.S. Naval fleet, as well as select foreign militaries. Without the components and systems made by Entwistle for Aircraft Launch and Recovery (“ALRE”), the U.S. Navy cannot launch and recover aircraft on the deck of an Aircraft Carrier. Further, components and systems are designed and manufactured by Entwistle to perform in hostile environments with uncompromising consistency and durability.

Sliding Padeyes

Underway Replenishment-At-Sea

Padeyes are designed to allow Navy combat ships to transfer materials to and from supply ships while underway. This is referred to as connected UNREP, or Underway Replenishment-at Sea. A cable, or highline, is connected between the supply ship and the combatant. This allows critical war-fighting supplies and munitions to be transferred between ships. This equipment, which is available in a number of different models, has been supplied on a variety of Navy combat ships, including the entire CG-47 Cruiser program, DDG-51 Destroyer Program, LPD-17 class, many CVN carriers, LHA’s, LHD’s, and the DDG-1000 program.

Jet Blast Deflectors

JBD’s are installed on aircraft carriers and provide the barrier between the jet blast of the aircraft that is on the catapult and other aircraft, equipment and personnel on the flight deck. The panels have cooling modules that allow seawater to be circulated and cool the panels from jet blast. The operating gear, also manufactured by Entwistle, raise and lower the panels.

Entwistle manufacture JBD’s and Operating Gear for new construction on a number of ships including CVN-79, and also supplies replacement panels for overhaul.

Nose Gear Launch Equipment

The NGL system provides the attachment point from the aircraft to the catapult system on an aircraft carrier. It is a complex weldment with precise machining, assembly and test requirements. The NGL is used on both steam powered catapults and EMALS catapults.

Trough Covers

Catapult Trough Covers are an integral component of steam powered catapults. They form the flight deck over the catapult system and are a large complex machined weldment.

Life Raft Launching System

The life rafts for the new DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer program needed to be contained within this modern warship. Entwistle designed and manufactured a stored energy hydraulically launched series of five (5) LRLS stations per ship. The DDG-1000 program was cut back to just three destroyers, but the technology and engineering is likely to be utilized on large surface combatants going forward.

Bitts and Chocks 

Entwistle manufactures Bitts and Chocks for installation on the flight deck of DDG-51 class destroyers and the Freedom class of the LCS. These allow for mooring equipment to be positioned on the flight deck and can be retracted during helicopter operations for an unobstructed flight deck.