China has been shown in operation for the first time a modular truck-mounted electromagnetic catapult. The system appears in a video launching a propeller drone from a mobile ground platform made up of three trucks lined up. It is the first visual proof that the concept is not limited to models or renders, as has been seen until now, but that it has already passed to real launch tests.
The video spread on social networks first shows the takeoff of the drone from the catapult. The aircraft has configuration high wing, V-tail and tricycle landing gear. It doesn’t look like one of the stealth type drones. CCAacronym in English for Collaborative combat aircraftwhich had been shown alongside the system when it appeared publicly at the end of last year, but a smaller and lighter device. Still, the interest is in the launch platform, not so much in the specific drone used in the test.
After the launch, the images show the three trucks circulating separately in convoy and coming together to form a single launch track. There are also upper covers whose most likely function is to protect the system during transport and perhaps partially disguise its purpose, although the shape of the vehicles and the front connection points remain quite recognizable.
The most striking part of the video is the maneuverability of the whole. Trucks count with steering on all wheels and can practically turn on themselveseven when they are united. This is relevant because a catapult of this type must be able to orient yourself against the wind before launching. In a mobile ground system, and even more so if used in confined spaces, that turning capacity is almost as important as the catapult itself.
EMALSacronym for Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, is the technical name for electromagnetic catapults. Unlike a steam catapult, uses electromagnetic energy to accelerate the aircraft along a runway. The advantage is that it allows the force applied to the plane or drone to be better modulated, something useful when launching devices of different sizes and weights. It can also reduce the time between launches compared to older systems, although in this case the actual rate of operation is not yet known.
いすれもモジュール式プラグアンドプレイ方式により海上および陸上プラットフォームに大規模かつ迅速に展開が可能。
中国船舶、中国兵器工業、中国航天科工、中国航天科技、中国電科など70以上組織が参加。 pic.twitter.com/laTNeUKgtL— KAROTASU (@type36512) June 30, 2026
The video is moving accompanied by a graphic showing a complete family of containerized systems. It’s not just about the catapult. The image shows containers with land attack and anti-ship cruise missile launchers, surface-to-air missiles, radars, electronic warfare equipment, command and control systems, a close-in defense system Type 1130 30mm and defensive pitchers Type 726. Also seen is a container with an EMALS catapult truck and another with a disassembled drone very similar to the one that appears in the launch.
Before this video was broadcast, it had already been possible to see the Zhong Da 79a Chinese cargo ship that appeared at the end of last year with several of these systems in containers on its deck. So it was not clear how much was real development and how much was a conceptual demonstration, The War Zone reports. Some of the pieces seen on board looked like mockups, but the new images partially change that reading by showing at least the mobile catapult performing a real launch.
Beyond what is seen in the video, details are scarce. It is not known where or when the test was recorded. It is also not known how the drones are loaded on the catapult, a decisive point to know how many launches it could make in a short time.. One possibility is that other trucks transport the drones and attach themselves to the system from behind, but there is no confirmation.
It is also unknown the energy demand of the catapult and what logistical support it needs to operate on land or on the deck of a ship. Just because it is mobile does not mean that it is autonomous in every sense. Another open point is its naval use. Just because it can be placed on a boat does not guarantee that it can safely launch drones if the deck moves due to the waves. The stability of the set, the necessary length of the runway and the maximum weight of the drones it can launch remain unclear.
What the video does show is a very specific concept consisting of a removable, road-transportable and potentially shippable launch pad. It does not replace an aircraft carrier nor is it intended to launch conventional fighters, but it does point to a different way of operating drones of a certain size without depending on a fixed runway.