The Electromagnetic Catapult On The U.S. Navy's Newest Aircraft Carrrier Cannot Be Used On Jets Carrying Extra Fuel Tanks

Bloomberg: Navy Jets With Extra Fuel Can’t Be Launched Off New U.S. Carrier

The previously undisclosed troubles with the catapult system from General Atomics add to shortcomings for the first in a new class of aircraft carriers being built by Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc.

(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Navy’s top warplanes can’t be launched off its newest aircraft carrier if they’re carrying fuel tanks needed to extend their flight range because the ship’s high-tech catapults cause too much wear.

Military weapons testers view this as a deficiency that would “preclude the Navy from conducting normal operations” on the USS Gerald R. Ford until it’s corrected, said Air Force Major Eric Badger, spokesman for the Pentagon’s testing office, in an e-mail.

WNU Editor: This is unexpected .... and a potentially huge problem.