--- title: "Watch the Navy’s New Aircraft Launcher Fling Dummy Cars Into the Sea" description: "Newport News Shipbuilding tested its new electromagnetic aircraft catapult by launching car-like sleds off the deck of the USS John F. Kennedy." date: "2024-03-06" modified: "2024-03-06" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/watch-the-navys-new-aircraft-launcher-fling-dummy-cars-into-the-sea" categories: - "News" --- # Watch the Navy’s New Aircraft Launcher Fling Dummy Cars Into the Sea ![]() *YouTube. HII* The USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) has been afloat since 2019 and is one of the most high-tech combat-ready aircraft carriers in the United States Navy's fleet. It's also about to get even more high tech. Newport News Shipbuilding—the company building the Navy's Ford-class aircraft carriers—is currently testing its new electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) by running "dead-load" exercises, shooting incredibly heavy car-like sleds off the front of the ship, and it's amazing to watch. Aircraft carriers have had aircraft-launching catapults since the 1950, however they were always powered by steam. EMALS uses an electromagnetic linear induction motor that slides its carriage along a track to launch planes into the air. In this new video, you can see just how powerful the system is, as it's capable of sending a wheeled sled off the deck of the JFK shockingly far. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yuMgG25VQM At first, I didn't think the sled flung a massive distance. Then I considered the ground covered relative to the size of the people still standing on the JFK, and realized it traveled about a football field's length in the air. It flies *so* hard and far than when it hits the water, the splash looks like that of an underwater bomb. That sled is hitting the surface with an immense amount of energy. To test EMALS, the manufacturer uses six different sleds of different sizes and weights to simulate various plane sizes. One of the main benefits of using EMALS over the old steam catapult system is its ability to launch smaller, lighter planes. The steam setup was powerful, and could hurl massive aircraft with ease, but it wasn't versatile and couldn't handle smaller machines. The one sled weight shown in the video is 7,800 pounds, which is light for a military aircraft but would equate to one of the [heaviest cars on sale]() right now. The EMALS yeeted it seemingly 300 yards off the ship and with so much velocity that it skipped across the surface of the water. ![]() ![]() ![]() There are a number of reasons why the Navy is switching over to EMALS, rather than steam catapults. It's a drastically smaller system that takes up less space on the ship and dramatically reduces weight. It's also far more energy efficient, which is always better. And it's more reliable, requiring fewer services and repair hours. But even with its improved versatility, reliability, and efficiency, EMALS is still powerful enough to slingshot aircraft that make the [Hummer EV]() seem light through the air with ease. Next I want to see them try it with a car, though. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()