CAPF AC 2022 Q46: Defence & Security – Defence Technology
- (a) launching guided missiles from silos
- (b) launching aircraft from warships
- (c) navigation of nuclear-powered submarines
- (d) development of reusable rockets
Answer: (b) launching aircraft from warships
Explanation
Electromagnetic launch of aircraft
How to think: an aircraft carrier has a very short runway.
A heavy aircraft needs a strong push to take off from it.
The old way was a steam catapult.
The new way uses electromagnets: the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS).
| Launch method | How it works | Used on |
|---|---|---|
| Ski-jump (STOBAR) | Aircraft uses its own power and an upward ramp | INS Vikramaditya, INS Vikrant |
| Steam catapult (CATOBAR) | Steam pressure pulls the aircraft forward | Older US carriers, Charles de Gaulle |
| EMALS | A linear electric motor pulls the aircraft | USS Gerald R. Ford, China's Fujian |
Advantages of EMALS: smoother pull, less stress on the aircraft, and it can launch both heavy planes and light drones.
Answer: (b) launching aircraft from warships.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Missiles in silos are launched by their own rocket motors or gas pressure.
- (b) CORRECT. The system launches aircraft from the deck of a carrier using electromagnets.
- (c) Incorrect. Submarine navigation uses inertial systems and sonar, not this.
- (d) Incorrect. Reusable rockets are about recovering boosters after launch.
Key point
EMALS: electromagnetic catapult for aircraft carriers, replacing steam catapults; first on USS Gerald R. Ford. India's carriers use the ski-jump (STOBAR). CATOBAR = catapult assisted take-off but arrested recovery.
Remember
EMALS = electromagnetic catapult on aircraft carriers.
Common mistakes
- Linking the word launch with missiles or rockets instead of aircraft.
- Thinking India's present carriers use a catapult; they use a ski-jump.
- Confusing EMALS with a railgun, which fires projectiles, not aircraft.
Exam tip
Educated guess: the name has the word air in it. Something that lifts aircraft into the air from a short deck points to warships, that is, aircraft carriers.
Sources
- United States Navy — Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) fact file
- Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Defence — commissioning of INS Vikrant (STOBAR carrier), September 2022