• Aircraft carriers range from big to gigantic as far as ships go, but the runways simply aren’t long enough for mostplanes to generate sufficient lift before they tumble off into the water. So, you need something to coax planes into the air a little faster, but the old steam catapults have come with drawbacks.
  • The EMALS platform works by using an electric current to generate magnetic fields that propel a carriage down the track built into the runway. Attach a plane to the carriage, and you’ve got an electromagnetic catapult. EMALS has been tested with the F/A-18, E2D Advanced Hawkey, and upcoming F-35 among others. One important aspect of this system is that operators can adjust the launch speed based on the weight of the
  • The ground-based EMALS tests have all been successful, but the upcoming tests aboard the USS Ford will be the main event. If all goes as planned. the US Navy could permanently move away from the archaic steam catapult.

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