President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to redesign a new US Navy aircraft carrier so that it uses traditional steam-powered catapults instead of the electromagnetic system installed on the Navy’s newest carriers, reviving a technology debate that has followed him for nearly a decade.
Trump signed a national security memorandum directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to develop, within 60 days, a plan to replace the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and advanced weapons elevators with steam and hydraulic alternatives aboard the future USS Doris Miller, a Ford-class aircraft carrier.
A Major Change During Construction
The decision comes as construction of the Doris Miller is already underway and the carrier is reportedly about two years behind schedule. General Atomics, which manufactures the electromagnetic launch system used on Ford-class carriers, said work on the system for the new ship is nearly half complete.
The company warned that changing the design at this stage could create substantial cost, schedule and integration problems. Senior Navy and industry officials have also reportedly resisted the proposal because removing a system built into the carrier’s design would be a complex and expensive undertaking.
Trump, however, has repeatedly argued that steam catapults are more reliable, easier to repair and less expensive than electromagnetic systems.
Trump’s Longstanding Objection to EMALS
Trump’s criticism of electromagnetic catapults dates back to 2017, when he first publicly described a conversation he said he had with a Navy officer about the technology.
Since then, he has repeatedly returned to the subject in speeches and public appearances. After returning to the White House in 2025, Trump again raised the issue while discussing Navy aircraft carriers.
At the Army War College last month, Trump cited the cost of modern aircraft carriers and again argued that steam technology was preferable because it could be repaired more easily in the field.
The president’s latest order effectively turns that longstanding preference into a formal Pentagon directive.
Critics Question the Timing
The proposal has drawn criticism from military and aerospace experts who argue that switching technologies in the middle of construction could undermine efficiency and increase costs.
Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona, has also criticized the president’s involvement in specific naval engineering decisions. Kelly is a former astronaut, test pilot and aeronautical engineer who has extensive experience operating from aircraft carriers.
The debate centers not only on whether steam or electromagnetic catapults are preferable, but also on whether changing the system after construction has begun is worth the disruption.
Steam Versus Electromagnetic Launch Systems
Traditional steam catapults have been used on US aircraft carriers for decades. They use high-pressure steam to propel aircraft along the carrier’s flight deck and into the air.
EMALS, by contrast, uses electromagnetic technology to accelerate aircraft. The system was developed as part of the Ford-class carrier program and was intended to provide more precise control while reducing some of the limitations associated with steam systems.
Trump’s directive would move the Doris Miller back toward the older technology while the Navy is transitioning to a newer generation of carrier systems.
A Decision With Wider Implications
The order could have implications beyond a single ship. The memorandum calls for a plan concerning the redesign of the Doris Miller, but Trump’s broader criticism of electromagnetic technology has raised questions about whether future US carriers could also move toward steam-based launch systems.
For now, the Pentagon has 60 days to determine what would be required to carry out the president’s order.
The decision marks one of the most significant interventions by Trump in the technical design of a US Navy warship and highlights his continuing effort to reshape America’s military procurement priorities around cost, simplicity and what he considers proven technology.
Source: theguardian
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