Trump Orders Navy to Revert to Steam Catapults on New Carrier

President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. Navy to abandon the advanced electromagnetic launch system on its newest aircraft carrier and revert to traditional steam catapults, a directive that also includes sweeping reforms to address chronic shipbuilding delays and capacity shortages. The decision, outlined in a National Security Presidential Memorandum signed on August 13, 2026, targets the future USS Doris Miller, the fourth Ford-class carrier currently under construction, and gives the Pentagon 60 days to develop a replacement plan.

The memorandum directs the Department of War to replace the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, and advanced weapons elevators with steam and hydraulic systems on the Doris Miller. This marks a reversal of the Navy's move toward newer launch technology, which was first tested in 2015 and implemented on the USS Gerald R. Ford. The three other Ford-class carriers-the USS Gerald R. Ford, USS John F. Kennedy, and USS Enterprise-will retain their existing electromagnetic systems. Trump has long criticized EMALS, arguing it is more expensive, complex, and less effective than the steam catapults used on older Nimitz-class carriers for...