In the United States, it’s been more than fifty years since the steam locomotive was replaced by the diesel train. Throughout, however, the U.S. Navy’s aircraft carriers remained reliant on the muggy vapor to power catapults and launch bombers and jet fighters off the deck and into the air.

That may be coming to an end very soon. Only this time, diesel will not supersede it, rather, it’ll be electromagnetism.

That’s right. Currently in the testing phase — it’s officially called the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) — the project will make or break itself during upcoming trials on the USS Gerald R. Ford (it’s already passed ground evaluations).

Aircraft carriers – while impossibly gigantic — still aren’t comparable in length to normal runways. Planes need a little bit more space, or else they won’t achieve the necessary lift so as to not skid off the floating fortress and into the water. Hence, the need for a catapult.

Now, in addition to steam being an anachronistic technology, it also poses a hefty load on the carrier : it can weight in excess of 1,300 pounds and take a good amount of time to recharge, despite the fact that the launch happens in almost an instant. It even imposes significant wear and tear on the jets and bombers themselves.

According to the website Geek.com, this is precisely how the Navy is using electromagnetism to power a catapult in the early going:

The EMALS platform works by using an electric current to generate magnetic fields that propel a carriage down the track built into the runway. Attach a plane to the carriage, and you’ve got an electromagnetic catapult. EMALS has been tested with the F/A-18, E2D Advanced Hawkey, and upcoming F-35 among others. One important aspect of this system is that operators can adjust the launch speed based on the weight of the aircraft.

Check out the video above for a glimpse of the first test launch in Lakehurst, N.J.