Definition of Arresting gear

On aircraft carriers, the system consists of an oil hydraulic cylinder with two rows of alluminium wire rope sheaves connected to the body of the hydraulic cylinder and 2 rows of alluminium wire rope sheaves connected to the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder. These rows are monted in a head that moves horizontally in a frame. The cylinder is hydraulically connected to a pressure vessel via a special valve. Over the sheaves a wire rope is reeved and one piece of this cable is going over the deck. A landing aircraft to catch this wire rope and wire rope subsequently compresses the hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic oil is throttled by a valve into the pressure vessel. Over the deck of these aircraft some four or five wire cables (belonging to four or five arresting gear engines) are waiting for the aircraft, the last one being a barrier with a net. The systems of the U.S. navy basically did not change for decades, because of the spare parts policy of the Navy. The arrestor gear engines of the French carrier "Charles de Gaulle" are identical to the US ones.