Dead-Load.

This is coolbert:

Testing EMALS the video.

"John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) Dead-Load Testing"

"Newport News Shipbuilding recently began topside testing of the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) on aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79)."

See the You Tube video:

"Following successful 'no-load' testing on catapults one and two, known as the ‘bow cats,’ the NNS team, alongside the John F. Kennedy crew, has now started 'dead-load' testing. In this phase, large, wheeled, car-like structures of graduated weights up to 80,000 pounds to simulate the weight of actual aircraft are launched off the carrier’s bow into the James River. They are then retrieved and relaunched until the conclusion of the test program to ensure the catapults are ready for their primary intended purpose: to launch all carrier-based fixed wing aircraft flown by the U.S. Navy."

EMALS not strictly confined to launching aircraft? Also for recovery too? I am not sure. More clearly it can be surmised that EMALS rather than not working at all just not meeting standards as set by specification.

See previous blog entries all mention of EMALS [with many additional links] problems as encountered:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2015/04/emals.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/05/emals.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/12/uss-ford.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2021/01/kaput-ii.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2021/07/lessons.html

coolbert.