President Donald Trump ordered the Navy to scrap the advanced electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) on its newest carriers and revert to steam catapults, the older technology he has championed for years.
EMALS was installed on the USS Gerald R. Ford and newer carriers as a modernized replacement for steam systems. The electromagnetic system promised faster launch cycles and reduced maintenance demands. Trump, however, has repeatedly criticized EMALS as unreliable and expensive, favoring the proven steam catapult technology used on older Nimitz-class carriers.
The directive reverses a major Pentagon procurement decision made over the past two decades. Navy leadership had invested billions developing and deploying EMALS as part of a broader modernization strategy for carrier aviation. The system represents technological advancement in naval operations.
Trump's order reflects his longstanding skepticism of the newer system. During his first term, he voiced concerns about EMALS reliability and cost overruns. His criticism of the Ford-class carrier program has been consistent, with the president arguing that steam catapults represent proven, dependable technology.
The decision carries operational and budgetary implications. Converting back to steam systems requires retrofitting existing infrastructure and potentially altering ongoing construction on future carriers. Navy personnel trained on EMALS would face retraining requirements. The retrofit process could delay carrier deployment schedules and reallocate defense spending.
Military modernization decisions typically involve technical assessments by Pentagon engineers and Navy officials. Trump's order prioritizes his preference for established technology over the Navy's developmental platform. The directive raises questions about how technical military decisions integrate with presidential preferences when they diverge from service branch recommendations.
The Navy has not publicly detailed implementation timelines or cost estimates for the transition. Congressional defense committees will likely examine the budgetary and operational impact of abandoning EMALS before full-scale conversion begins.