US fighter jets take off and land for the first time on Ford-class supercarrier

F/A-18F fighter successfully took off and landed on the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier thanks to the arresting cable system and electromagnetic catapult.

F/A-18F fighter jets take off and land on the USS Gerald R. Ford.

"The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier made history byfighter of the 23rd Test and Evaluation Wing"Successful takeoff and landing using an advanced arresting cable system and electromagnetic catapult," Admiral Phil Davidson, commander of the US fleet forces, announced on July 28. Observers said that this successful test contributed to dispelling doubts about the capabilities of two key systems on the Ford-class aircraft carrier,Navy Timesreport

Arresting cable system and electromagnetic catapult on aircraft carrierGerald R. FordThe F/A-18F has encountered a series of problems during its development. However, four successful takeoffs and landings of the F/A-18F fighter jets on the USS Gerald R. Ford show that they operate well without any problems.

Aircraft carrierGerald R. Forduses electromagnetic power to operate catapults and arrestor cables, replacing the steam-powered systems on Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.

US Navy officials say electromagnetic technology simplifies equipment maintenance, helps aircraft accelerate smoothly and reduces damage to the airframe. US President Donald Trump has criticized electromagnetic launch systems, saying they "don't work" and asking the US Navy to "go back to steam".

F/A-18F fighter jet lands on Ford-class aircraft carrier. Photo: US Navy.

With a full displacement of 100,000 tonnes, the US Ford-class aircraft carriers are the world’s largest. The USS Gerald R Ford is the first of its class and was delivered to the US Navy in May for sea trials, before reaching basic combat readiness in 2020./.

According to VNE