Looking around the world, only two big countries have really developed the steam catapult and electromagnetic catapult, and put them into practical use in engineering.
However, even the superpowers themselves have not completely broken through the problems of high efficiency, high security and high reliability in electromagnetic catapult, otherwise, the Ford, the first ship of the Ford class, will not be in a "hemiplegic" state and spend a long time in the berth of the original factory.
The other three new Ford-class ships are naturally taught by the same commander, and the final result will be disastrous. In other words, the superpower has not completely progressed from the steam ejection era to the electromagnetic era.
I once had the idea of going back to steam ejection mode, but I couldn't go back if I wanted to. Because BW's steam injection production line has long since closed down. That is to say, in terms of advanced ejection technology, at the peak of the superpower, there was only the highest level of 1.5, but now there is only one 0.5 left, which makes the superpower and the navy directly in the air and unable to struggle.
As for other countries, there are no reports that steam or electromagnetic catapult is developing it. Even the first Englishman put the steam catapult into practical use, it is impossible to develop an advanced steam catapult. The type of steam catapult is not the same technical route as the later large steam catapult with ejection capacity exceeding 30 tons.
As for the 30-ton steam catapult developed during the Soviet period, so far, the physical objects and engineering test facilities are not to be mentioned; Even the original picture is hard to find.
Successors of the Soviet Union had no plans or engineering practices to develop any steam catapults. Looking at the PPT of seven or eight future aircraft carriers launched recently, they are basically spinning around in taxi mode, which shows that within the first-line naval researchers, from the most basic ideological starting point, they dare not want to restore advanced steam catapults or other more advanced electromagnetic catapult.
In this way, in the world, there is only one company that has truly completed the breakthrough of the ejection launching system and all technical details, reached the super-class level in engineering practice, and realized the coexistence of 2.0. Now, the world's leading electromagnetic bullet ray has been found more than one model.
In the future, whether it is the main battle aircraft ship or the auxiliary aircraft ship, it is very likely to realize the large-scale equipment of high-power electromagnetic catapult. The leading position is unshakable. But there is always a little "happiness trouble" in it. This is the self-made steam catapult, with a launching capacity of 33 tons, which once consumed considerable energy and financial resources, and its technical strength is completely comparable to that of C 13B2 steam catapult, and it can only be sealed for a long time.
Even if the research and development process of this system is saved, the expenditure of more than one billion will definitely be indispensable. It can only be shelved for a long time, which is both precious and a waste of resources.
I'm afraid it's hard to find an order for the steam ejection system under the situation of unifying rivers and lakes within electromagnetic catapult. There seems to be only one way to recover part or all of the investment, but the problem is that exporting is not that easy.
First of all, since the Cold War, only superpowers have exported 30 tons of steam catapults to Charles de Gaulle, France, with a unit price of $30 million each, and two sets add up to $60 million. The unit price of the superpower navy's self-use version is only more than 6.5438+million US dollars. It can be seen that BW Company charged a high price when exporting to France.
However, the total profit from the export of the two catapults is only $30 million to $40 million, which is only an early unit price of F 16. For a big country or even a big company, it can only be regarded as a mosquito's leg. It can be seen that the export steam catapult itself, including the subsequent technical support, even if the lion opens his mouth, there is not much oil and water.
No wonder the complete production line of BW steam catapult can't go on. However, if you want to export your own steam catapults, you will face the problems of too few exports and not much profit. And this export target itself is hard to find in the world.
After France, I haven't heard that the naval industries outside the two major countries are bidding for catapults specially used to build new aircraft carriers. Therefore, it is necessary to solve the problem of investment recovery of steam catapult. Unless several steam catapults installed on a new aircraft carrier are packaged and sold together, it is possible to have considerable economic benefits.
But there is still a problem with this operation, that is, customers all over the world know that you have the best electromagnetic catapult in China, but now you only export steam catapults for large aircraft ships.
It always gives people a feeling that they have left their hands on customers and are not sincere enough. Therefore, the external sales of this steam catapult is really a century problem.