Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System

The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) is an electromagnetic catapult system developed by General Atomics for the United States Navy's CATOBARsupercarriers. The system enables assisted takeoffs of carrier-based aircraft by means of a linear induction motor-based catapult rather than the steam catapults used on the earlier Forrestal-class, Kitty Hawk-class, Enterprise-class and Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. The EMALS was first installed on the USS Gerald R. Ford, the lead ship of the new Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, c. 2015.

The main advantage of the EMALS over the conventional steam catapults is that it can accelerate aircraft more smoothly and gradually, thus putting less impulsivestress on their airframes. Compared to steam catapults, the EMALS system also recharges faster (as charging up electrical energy is much quicker than pressurizing gases), weighs less (as it eliminates the need to install bulky boiler, compressor, pressure vessel, plumbing and piston systems needed to produce and convey high-pressure steam), is expected to cost less and require less maintenance, and can tailor power output when launching heavier or lighter aircraft. It also significantly decreases the consumption of fresh water (which is needed to generate superheated steam for each sortie), thus optimizing on-board water storage for crew usages and reducing the demand for energy-intensive desalination.