>>510613275
>Is it really that much cheaper to use ramps?
When you look at the Russian approach to all weapon systems you will see two particular areas of focus:
> Maintainability
> Ease of use
These two are usually even preferred over cutting edge capabilities or performance.

The whole concept of aircraft carriers in general violate this, but if they are going to make it then it will be with ramps since they will work even without maintenance and to operate it you also need less staff. Contrast this to how many staffers you need to maintain a catapult and then to operate it in every launch, and the added complexity it all brings.

They do lose some of the capabilities, in particular launching heavily loaded jets and certain aircrafts. But in relative terms, it will be a platform that is easier to maintain and requires less people to operate.

IMO, the US should think about that more. If the costs of running foreign wars and air campaigns is lower, then they can be affordable for longer or at a higher intensity.