Trump order to return carriers to steam catapults could add

President Trump has ordered the Navy to replace electromagnetic aircraft launch systems on future Gerald R. Ford–class aircraft carriers with older steam catapults, forcing major redesigns that add billions in cost, reports the Wall Street Journal. The national security memorandum, signed Thursday, applies to the fourth Ford-class ship, the future USS Doris Miller, and all future carriers. The first three ships in the class, the USS Gerald R. Ford, John F. Kennedy, and Enterprise, will keep the electromagnetic system.

The decision revives Trump's position from his first term, when he publicly criticized the Navy’s Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, as too complex and said the service should return to steam. The EMALS was built into the Ford-class design, and reverting to steam isn't a simple equipment swap.

The White House said the change would make future carriers rely on “battle-tested steam and hydraulic systems” and help reactivate portions of the maritime industrial base. But critics argue the move cuts against operational and cost trends. Bryan Clark of the Hudson Institute said electric systems are more reliable and cheaper to maintain because they remove steam-related mechanical parts. Early Navy data cited in the article indicates the Ford costs about $100 million less per year to operate than a Nimitz-class carrier, partly because it requires roughly 500 fewer sailors.

The Navy recently touted EMALS' performance after initial challenges, saying it helped the Ford launch and recover aircraft at higher rates than older carriers. As of March, the Ford’s four electromagnetic catapults had launched nearly 37,000 aircraft.

The memo also directs new investments in shipbuilding, a new public shipyard for submarine repair and a component repair center to support submarine maintenance.