JATO (
acronym for
jet-assisted take-off), is a type of
assisted take-off for helping overloaded aircraft into the air by providing additional thrust in the form of small
rockets. The term
JATO is used interchangeably with the (more specific) term
RATO, for
rocket-assisted take-off (or, in
RAF parlance,
RATOG for
rocket-assisted take-off gear).