Page 64: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2026)

TECH FEATURE

A Carrier Air Wing 8 F/A-18F Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 213, launches from the ? ight deck of the world's largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), July 14, 2025.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Maxwell Orlosky

EMALS was supposed to save money, reduce the man- tained from pipes fed from nuclear-fueled steam boilers. power needed for the catapults, and simplify maintenance. Janssen has worked on boilers and steam engines for 25

These bene? ts have yet to materialize. Probably the big- years. He is well versed in the wet steam accumulators that gest bone of contention is unreliability. EMALS has been are used for energy storage in steam catapults. Instead of failing on average every 400 launches, a tenth of its con- making iterative changes to the original carrier design and tracted speci? cation. That could spell disaster in a combat redesigning the nuclear energy system to incorporate more arena. If one catapult fails, it can’t be repaired if other steam, he advocates installation of a local steam boiler and jets are being launched. The designers opted for three En- accumulator in each of the four catapult areas. It gets its ergy Storage Groups supplying the catapults rather than power from the existing high-voltage, 13.8-kilovolt zon- having four independent launch systems. This is one of al power grid electrical energy distribution system of the several expensive mistakes that now haunt the program. Ford Carrier. There is more than enough electrical capacity

Around a billion has been spent on EMALS development to accommodate these systems. Additionally, removal of to date. Another half billion contract is in play to install EMALS hardware leaves plenty of space to ? t a big enough

EMALS in Ford-class carrier CVN-80 USS Enterprise, boiler and accumulator. which is under construction. “The Ford carrier architecture doesn’t support steam so

An assessment of EMALS by the Director, Operational we make it onsite using the electricity that is available,”

Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) is damning: “Poor or un- said Janssen. “This limits the modi? cations necessary to known reliability of the newly designed catapults, arresting the Ford-class carriers avoiding excess cost and construc- gear, weapons elevators, and radar, which are all critical for tion delays to CVN-81 and enables competitive sourcing ? ight operations, could affect CVN-78’s ability to generate of parts.” sorties, make the ship more vulnerable to attack, or create His analysis of the 20th century steam technology em- limitations during routine operations.” ployed on Nimitz-class vessels is that it was probably de- veloped by gun specialists rather them steam experts. The

Running out of Steam materials used and the supporting lubrication are ripe for

Steam powered systems largely disappeared from Navy ef? ciency upgrades. procurement when the last Nimitz-class carrier was Steam technology advances since the days of the Nim- launched in 2006. Each catapult system is comprised itz-class carrier can be incorporated to reduce water con- of a steam engine and a wet steam accumulator mount- sumption, reuse condensate, and control the power and ed below deck. Two pistons in cylinders simultaneously velocity of a steam catapult launch or “shot.” According propel a shuttle along the deck, similar to how EMALS to Janssen, the latter can accommodate a wider range of works. Each launch requires about 1000 lbs of steam that aircraft weights and throwing speeds to meet the expect- is stored in a wet steam accumulator with the steam ob- ed future types of aircraft to be utilized by the U.S. Navy 64 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • November 2026

MR #11 (50-65).indd 64 MR #11 (50-65).indd 64 11/4/2026 10:28:22 AM11/4/2026 10:28:22 AM