It’s a bit funny to think that after pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into an enormous weapons program like the F-35, we’re hurling them off carriers with steam-powered catapults. But hey, it works! Check out the world’s first launch.
The thunderous push, which went down yesterday at a New Jersey Naval facility, shows just how powerful this launching mechanism is — the thing weighs well over a ton, and is pushed into the air with its own thrust and a shit-ton of water-powered oomph with what appears to us as minimal effort. Just make sure you’ve had a bathroom break before you strap in. [via DefenseTech]