Revolutionary catapult gives Chinese navy huge edge in carrier operations

China has successfully tested and deployed a new electromagnetic catapult system. The PLA Navy was the first to launch a stealth aircraft with EM technologies.EM catapults offer significant advantages over steam-powered launch systems: they are smaller, simpler, and allow for far faster launches of multiple aircraft and types.They are especially conducive to naval drone operations, where Chinese naval forces already enjoy superiority.The US Navy's Ford-class carriers also have EM catapults, but have suffered operational problems since inception. Failure rates are so high that they cannot be used at all in high-tempo combat operations.