I believe the issues with EMALS are completely different issues from those with rail guns, InterceptPoint.
My understanding is due to the high muzzle velocity at which projectiles leave a rail gun, there is abnormal wear and tear on the rail portion of the delivery system to the point it causes a wide spectrum of issues, most specifically accuracy, range, and safety. It is actual mechanical wear and tear in a very short period of time due to the extreme speed of the projectile as it leaves the gun.
I don’t see where that same kind of issue would rear its head in an EMALS setup.
The high velocity-wear and tear issue sounds real. I guess that’s why we don’t hear much about railguns these days. At least I don’t.
OTOH, the electromagnetic mechanism used in EMALS has to be similar if not identical to that used in railguns. Seems to me. In fact I would bet the engineers who are developing it are a bunch of old railguns guys. At least a few.
“...due to the high muzzle velocity at which projectiles leave a rail gun, there is abnormal wear and tear on the rail portion of the delivery system...”
“Abnormal” only in comparison to wear and tear in more conventionally propelled gun systems.
The current densities and EM field strengths required to accelerate the projectile to the stated velocities create plasma, which does erode various launch system components. Very short service life.
EM railgun systems are still developmental. Fuzing systems, bursting charges, and guidance systems cannot survive the g forces of launch. So we are currently limited to solid projectiles that cannot perform course corrections inflight. Makes the most severe demands on initial gunlaying precision. Cheerleading about how “devastating” the projectile is on impact via kinetic energy alone is making a virtue of the constraints.
The stresses and strains of launch are only a portion of the demands placed on carrier-launched aircraft. They are forced to give up significant percentages of range and payload capability because they have to be built to endure such great forces without falling apart. Puts them forever behind land-based aircraft.