The modern Queen Elizabeth class provides a comparison through its ski-jump and STOVL operating model. Electromagnetic catapults such as EMALS could support different aircraft, but fitting them would require substantial work. STOVL aircraft can be sent down the take-off run without resetting a catapult between launches, simplifying one part of the deck cycle even though the overall operation remains complex. This passage gives the STOVL choice an operational advantage rather than treating it only as a compromise imposed by cost.
Notable Point · 37:34-39:09
The operational case for a STOVL carrier
Catapults expand aircraft options, but STOVL operations can launch aircraft without the reset and sequencing demands of a catapult system.