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| CATOBAR | |
|---|---|
| Name | CATOBAR |
| Caption | Catapult assisted take-off illustration |
| Origin | Various |
| Type | Aircraft launch system |
| Used by | United States Navy, French Navy, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, Indian Navy, Royal Navy |
| Wars | Falklands War, Kosovo War, Operation Enduring Freedom, Gulf War |
CATOBAR
CATOBAR is a shipboard aircraft launch system that uses catapults and arresting gear to operate fixed-wing aircraft from aircraft carriers. It has enabled launch and recovery of heavier, higher-performance aircraft aboard carriers operated by navies such as the United States Navy, French Navy, and Royal Navy. CATOBAR has influenced carrier design decisions in fleets including the People's Liberation Army Navy and Indian Navy, shaping naval aviation doctrine and procurement programs.
CATOBAR integrates steam or electromagnetic catapults with arresting wires and deck handling to launch and recover aircraft on aircraft carrier decks. Carriers outfitted with CATOBAR accommodate aircraft types like McDonnell Douglas F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale M, Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet, Grumman C-2 Greyhound, Lockheed S-3 Viking, Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye, and Boeing EA-18G Growler. Major ship classes employing CATOBAR include Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle (R91), HMS Queen Elizabeth, and INS Vikramaditya.
Early carrier aviation experiments on HMS Argus and USS Langley (CV-1) led to innovations culminating in catapult systems developed by firms such as Vickers, Sperry Corporation, and General Electric. The interwar period saw advances on ships such as HMS Hermes and USS Lexington (CV-2). World War II accelerated catapult and arresting gear improvements on carriers including USS Enterprise (CV-6) and HMS Illustrious (87), while postwar developments produced hydraulic and steam catapults used on Essex-class aircraft carrier modernizations and Midway-class aircraft carrier conversions. Cold War requirements for nuclear strike and airborne early warning capabilities influenced programs like F-4 Phantom II carrier trials and Grumman E-2 Hawkeye integration. The advent of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System on USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) represents a modern milestone, with companies such as General Atomics and United Technologies contributing technologies.
CATOBAR systems historically used hydraulic, pneumatic, and steam-driven piston or shuttle mechanisms developed by contractors including Westinghouse Electric Corporation and Babcock & Wilcox. Steam catapults use boiler and reactor steam from ships like Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and HMS Queen Elizabeth to accelerate launch shuttles. Electromagnetic systems such as EMALS employ linear induction motors similar to technologies researched at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Naval Surface Warfare Center, and General Atomics. Arresting gear incorporates energy absorbers and cross-deck pendants pioneered by firms like Electric Boat Division and Curtiss-Wright. Integration requires coordination with flight deck operations managed under doctrines from Naval Aviation Schools Command, Fleet Air Arm, U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, and carriers' flag officer staffs.
CATOBAR has enabled deployment of carrierborne types across manufacturers and nations: Grumman F-14 Tomcat aboard USS Nimitz (CVN-68), McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet on USS Enterprise (CVN-65), Dassault Rafale M on Charles de Gaulle (R91), MiG-29K on INS Vikramaditya, and Shenyang J-15 on Liaoning (16) and Shandong (17). Logistic and support aircraft such as Grumman C-2 Greyhound and proposed carrier transports like Lockheed C-130 Hercules trials influenced catapult strength and deck configurations. Electronic warfare and early warning platforms including Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye and Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye rely on CATOBAR for full-weight takeoffs.
Advantages include the ability to launch heavy aircraft such as Boeing C-17 Globemaster III-class sized transports in conceptual studies, operate high-performance interceptor and strike fighters like F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-35C Lightning II, and support AEW&C platforms including E-2 Hawkeye. CATOBAR carriers provide flexibility for multi-role air wings on ship classes such as Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and Charles de Gaulle (R91). Disadvantages involve complexity and cost associated with catapult manufacture and maintenance by contractors like General Electric and Rolls-Royce, requirement for extensive crew training coordinated with Naval Air Systems Command and Directorate of Naval Air Warfare practices, and susceptibility of launch systems to battle damage observed in Falklands War and Cold War analyses.
Naval aviators train for CATOBAR operations at facilities such as Naval Air Station Oceana, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Fleet Air Arm RNAS Yeovilton, Ruchkin Naval Aviation School, and Indian Naval Academy-linked squadrons. Carrier qualifications on ships including USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), HMS Prince of Wales (R09), INS Vikrant (2013), and Charles de Gaulle (R91) involve catapult-assisted takeoffs and arrested recoveries under observers from Squadron Headquarters, Naval Aviator Training Command, and international exchange programs with Royal Australian Navy and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force units. Mishap investigations draw on boards such as Naval Safety Center and committees within Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) and Ministry of Defence (India).
Emerging directions include broader adoption of electromagnetic launch systems like EMALS on future carriers such as subsequent Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier units, collaboration with defense contractors including General Atomics and Thales Group, and research into ski-jump and short take-off concepts used by Royal Navy-affiliated programs and Soviet Navy-era carriers for STOBAR designs. Alternatives to CATOBAR include STOBAR aboard Admiral Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier and advanced unmanned carrier aviation integrating platforms like MQ-25 Stingray, X-47B, and collaborative projects with institutions such as DARPA and NASA.