An F/A-18 Super Hornet launches from the deck of the USS George H.W. Bush during military operations against Iran in June 2026. The Bush’s catapult can be seen in the photo, with trails of steam rising through. (US Navy)

How Do Aircraft Launch from Carriers—and Why Does Trump Care?

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“Ski-jump” carriers are smaller and weaker than catapult-equipped ones—but as recent events involving the president show, catapults are far from a silver bullet for effective carrier operations.

Aircraft carriers, as the name suggests, are built to launch aircraft. That mission is central to why the carrier exists, and the method by which it does so is foundational to the carrier.

The two dominant systems used for carrier launches today are STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery), in which an aircraft launches under its own weight, and CATOBAR (Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery), under which it is assisted in takeoff by the use of a catapult. Both use arresting wires to recover aircraft. In practice, modern STOBAR carriers use a “ski jump” ramp at one end to aid in takeoff, giving those carriers a visually distinct appearance contrasting with a CATOBAR carrier’s flat deck.

Why Would Anyone Use a STOBAR System Today?

Today, the most advanced aircraft carriers in the world use a CATOBAR setup. This was not always the case; during World War II, some US Navy aircraft carriers lacked catapults, instead relying on the aircraft’s own power for takeoff (and sometimes turning into the wind for assistance).

Since the 1950s, however, catapults have become........

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