Donald Trump orders return to steam catapults for USS Doris Miller

President Donald Trump has issued a presidential memorandum ordering the U.S. Navy to abandon electromagnetic aircraft launch systems (EMALS) in favor of traditional steam catapults for the future aircraft carrier USS Doris Miller (CVN-81). The directive also mandates replacing electromagnetic weapons elevators with hydraulic systems. The Pentagon has been given 60 days to present an implementation plan.

Trump’s decision stems from concerns regarding the complexity and maintenance requirements of EMALS, a technology he has previously criticized as unreliable. While the first three Gerald R. Ford-class carriers will retain their electromagnetic systems, the redesign of the fourth vessel, currently under construction at HII Newport News Shipbuilding, may face cost, schedule, and integration risks. General Atomics noted that production of launch equipment for the ship was already nearly halfway complete.

In response to the shift, France’s Ministry of the Armed Forces stated that the decision will not jeopardize the electromagnetic launch systems planned for France’s next aircraft carrier. The ministry noted that no specific technical or industrial risks have been identified for French manufacturing and maintenance, as the EMALS technology remains operational on existing U.S. vessels. France’s Direction générale de l’armement is currently discussing the matter with U.S. counterparts.