Aircraft carriers are terrifyingly high-tech machines - from the nuclear reactors that supply their power, down to the computer-controlled firing systems that defend them from attack faster than any human could react.
But the lowest-tech link in the chain has always been the Fifties-designed steam catapults used to hurl planes from the decks - until now.
A new electromagnetic catapult being trialled in the US is passing tests with flying colours - using a kinetic energy storage system that can launch a huge 26-tonne plane, then recharge in 45 seconds.
The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System is designed to keep up with the increasing weight of today's combat planes - something previous 'steam catapults' could not keep up with
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