U.S. Navy Starts Launching 'Deadloads' to Test EMALS on CVN-79 Aircraft Carrier

The U.S. Navy and industry team started testing the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) of the John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) aircraft carrier by launching 'deadloads' from its flight deck into the waters below.

The tests were conducted on February 14, the Navy said today.

This deadload testing is pivotal for evaluating EMALS performance and marks the beginning of test launches as Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) is commissioned. The joint test team, including personnel from Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), Supervisors of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair (SUPSHIPs), General Atomics (GA), and Carrier and Field Service Unit (CAFSU), used one of the carrier's catapults to launch 9-80,000 lb. carts simulating aircraft into the James River.

Joseph Wolfe, Lead EMALS test engineer, mentioned incorporating lessons from the first operational deployment of USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) into EMALS testing on John F. Kennedy. Wolfe acknowledged the support from the Ships Force of CVN 79, already trained on Ford-class launch and recovery systems.

“As we test our Ford class-systems on the second CVN of its class, we have the opportunity to pull from many lessons learned since the first EMALS deadload testing for CVN 78 in 2015,” said Cmdr. Jocelyn Liberg, PMA-251 deputy program manager for Ford CVNs.