CATOBAR combines assisted take-off with arrested recovery, allowing heavier launch and recovery weights. STOVL aircraft can launch rapidly without waiting for catapults to reset, and their relatively light air-to-air loads suit a fleet air-defence role. Gentler landings also allow their airframes to be designed around different structural demands. STOBAR aircraft must remain light enough for an unassisted take-off while carrying the structure needed for arrested recovery. This combination of take-off limits and landing loads makes STOBAR the least attractive carrier arrangement in this assessment. It can still work when the aircraft and operations are adapted to the mission that led to its selection.
Notable Point · 1:20:08-1:23:29
STOVL, STOBAR, and the Soviet carrier trade-off
Catapult, STOVL, and STOBAR trade-offs explain why Soviet deck aviation favoured air defence over heavy strike loads.