Catapults and UCAVs for the Queen Elizabeth class

Might the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers receive catapults during a mid-life refit?

Possibly, especially if future Anglo-American UCAVs require catapult launch rather than short take-off.

Whether Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales receive catapults depends on the maturity of electromagnetic launch systems. The stronger requirement would come from a later generation of unmanned combat aircraft rather than the existing F-35B force. A joint Anglo-American UCAV may be optimised for catapult launch because the United States has little reason to create a separate short-take-off version. Catapults could therefore let the carriers expand their air groups with aircraft able to perform missions Britain needs organically. The proposal also reflects concern that buying too few F-35Bs would leave the ships without enough aircraft to exploit their size.