President Trump has directed the Pentagon to redesign Ford-class aircraft carriers to replace their electromagnetic launch systems with traditional steam catapults, a change he has advocated for since 2017. The shift could significantly increase construction costs and delay delivery schedules for new carriers already under way.
Trump signed a national security memorandum on Thursday instructing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to develop a plan for the conversion. The directive specifically targets the USS Doris Miller, a Ford-class carrier that is already two years behind schedule. Officials have 60 days to outline the required measures to replace both the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and Advanced Weapons Elevators with steam and hydraulic alternatives.
The president has made his preference for steam catapults a consistent talking point for years. In a 2017 Time magazine interview, Trump described a conversation with a navy officer about the electromagnetic system. "It sounded bad to me. Digital," Trump said, before declaring that steam was superior and less expensive. He has retold variations of this story annually since then, including during campaign speeches, at CPAC, and in remarks to active-duty personnel after returning to office.
Trump recently restated his position at the Army War College in Pennsylvania, recounting a conversation with someone he called "the catapulter." According to Trump's account, the person said steam catapults were better because "we can fix it with a hammer and a blowtorch. When the electric goes bad, I have to send to MIT."
The proposed change faces significant resistance from industry and military leaders. General Atomics, which manufactures the electromagnetic launch system, warned that switching course would create "significant cost, schedule, and integration risks." The company noted that work on the new ship is nearly 50 percent complete, making a redesign particularly expensive and disruptive.
Senator Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat and former astronaut with extensive experience launching from aircraft carriers, criticized the decision. "I've launched off the front of aircraft carriers hundreds of times, have a Master's degree in aeronautical engineering, and am a test pilot and even I wouldn't suggest to the Navy how to engineer specific systems on its ships," Kelly wrote on social media.
The electromagnetic launch systems were originally designed to reduce maintenance requirements and increase sortie rates compared to older steam catapults. However, the technology has encountered technical challenges during initial deployment on newer carriers.
The timing of Trump's order complicates the Navy's broader shipbuilding strategy as the service works to expand its carrier fleet amid strategic competition with China. Defense officials have not yet provided cost estimates or timeline projections for implementing the mandated changes, though industry observers expect substantial impacts on both metrics.