The Navy Launches its Super Hornet Skyward

General Atomics confirmed yesterday afternoon that its F/A-18E Super Hornet successfully launched last Saturday, with the help of electromagnetic aircraft launch system or EMALS. The EMALS enable future carriers to launch a wider variety of aircraft using electromagnetic force. This critical piece of technology is expected to be integrated into the USS Gerald R. Ford that is currently under construction.

Compared to steam-powered catapults, EMALS has several advantages. It can recover faster than steam catapults enabling next-gen carriers to gather more aircraft in the air in less time, and it also wastes less energy. To understand EMALS more, check out the documentary footage of steam catapults below.

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