Buying EMALS from the United States creates a dependence on a launch system manufactured in small numbers. In the hypothetical case of British and American carriers needing repairs during the same war, American ships would probably receive replacement equipment first. That could leave the British carrier waiting weeks or months. France accepts this dependence in pursuing a single carrier with heavier aviation capability, while Britain's ski-jump arrangement relies on a structure that can be maintained with steel and other materials. Supply dependence is one consideration in that choice. The same questions apply to engines, lifts, computers, and sanitation systems: is the equipment produced domestically, available from several allies, or supplied by only one ally?
Chapter · 51:16-54:37
EMALS procurement turns allied supply into a wartime priority question
Low-volume carrier components require a choice among domestic production, multiple allied suppliers, and dependence on one ally's wartime priorities.