V/STOL or STOVL aircraft can use vertical or short takeoff and landing without a catapult-and-arresting arrangement. STOBAR combines a short takeoff with arrested recovery, allowing aircraft to return at greater weights than an unassisted system. CATOBAR adds catapult launch and supports the heaviest takeoffs and recoveries, which generally permits the widest range of aircraft. Catapult launches and arrested landings also impose substantial loads that affect airframe life. Choosing a system is therefore a tradeoff among aircraft flexibility, payload and recovery weight, ship complexity, and aircraft durability.
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CATOBAR, STOBAR, and V/STOL shape the air group
Launch and recovery arrangements determine which aircraft weights a carrier can handle, how broad its air group can be, and what structural loads the aircraft must absorb.