Could electromagnetic launch systems feature on future carriers

The crashing of the waves and the incessant roar of the fighter jets as, one by one, they are slung from the ship, make the flight deck of an aircraft carrier one of the more awe-inspiring sights of modern aviation. It is certainly a far cry from the dawdling taxiing and listless flick through the in-flight magazine that characterises most peoples’ experience of take-off.

While the performance of the fighter jets and the ship both play a critical role in this adrenaline-fuelled collision of marine and aviation technology, the key enabling technology is the immense catapults that accelerate the aircraft to take-off speed along a runway that is just a couple of hundred feet long.

While a typical steam catapult operates at a limit of about 95MJ, EMALS is reported to have a delivered energy capability of 122MJ, which means it should be able to cope with the heavier naval aircraft that are becoming more popular.

Conversely, the precise control that it allows means that it could also be used to launch aircraft that currently fall below the minimum weight limit allowed on steam-powered launchers. With unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) becoming increasingly important to military superpowers, this is expected to be a particularly useful capability.

The most visible of the system’s components is the moving shuttle that, in the same manner as existing catapults, provides the interface between the aircraft and the launch motor.

The shuttle is moved by an integrated linear induction motor that converts two- to three-second pulses of current into the electromagnetic forces necessary to accelerate the aircraft along the launch stroke. After the aircraft launches, the electric current in the motor will reverse to brake the shuttle to a complete halt and return it to its start position.