[Spirochete]

I was expecting to see an F18 settling tail first into some contraption rigged to catch it.

That's what the headline sounds like. It made me think of the X-13 Vertijet.

[tanknetter]

Made me think of the old Harrier Skyhook project

This looks really impressive, but the Harrier can, and will (to anyone who's seen one at an airshow) stop and turn on a dime. Marine aviators are, universally, trained to a very high standard when it comes to maneuvering their aircraft. The beauty of the cradle is that it saved the centerline LITENING targeting pod, which would have been otherwise crushed ...