Developed in collaboration with MagneMotion, Newport News Shipbuilding, and NAVSEA, the Advanced Weapons Elevator (AWE) was originally conceived during the design of the Ford-class aircraft carriers (CVN 78).

The AWE improves the strike-up and strike-down rate of weapons movement from magazines to the flight deck. It employs a ropeless design powered by linear synchronous motors (LSM), advanced control systems, and wireless technology.

The design underwent rigorous qualification trials—including shock, vibration, EMI, load, and reliability testing—and successfully achieved a 24,000 lb load rating and a 150 ft/min speed, exceeding legacy system performance by more than 200% in capacity and 150% in speed.