Trump orders US Navy back to steam catapults: Why is America replacing newer technology with older systems

The directive is part of a national security memorandum signed by Trump on Thursday. The memorandum asks the Pentagon and the Navy to prepare plans within two months to remove the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, from the fourth Ford-class aircraft carrier, the future USS Doris Miller, reported Reuters.

The order also calls for the Ford-class carrier’s electromagnetic weapons elevators to be replaced.

The decision marks a major reversal for a technology that the US Navy selected in 2009 as a next-generation aircraft launch system. EMALS is already installed on the USS Gerald R Ford, while the forthcoming USS John F Kennedy and USS Enterprise will also retain the system, according to AP.

The Doris Miller will become the first Ford-class carrier affected by the new order. The change could cost US taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, reported Reuters. The broader move could cost billions of dollars, reported AP. However, the final cost is not yet known.

The change also comes when the US Navy faces a shortage of sailors and the Pentagon seeks additional funding for military programmes.

Why does Trump want older steam technology?

Trump has criticised EMALS for years. Trump’s opposition to the electromagnetic catapult system goes back to at least 2017, during his first term as president, reported AP. In a 2017 interview with Time magazine, Trump said the new system was “not good” and did not have the power of older steam systems.

“You’re going to goddamned steam,” Trump said at the time, as reported by AP.

Trump again criticised EMALS at a defence summit in Pennsylvania last month. He said, “Billions of dollars more they spent on electric catapults and they’re not good. They’re not nearly as good, too complex,” as reported by Reuters. 

EMALS uses electromagnetic power to launch aircraft from an aircraft carrier. Steam catapults use steam pressure to provide the force needed to send aircraft off the carrier deck.

The Navy selected EMALS in 2009. The Navy expected the system to reduce overall lifecycle costs, require less maintenance and place less physical stress on carrier-based aircraft, reported Reuters.

The electromagnetic system can launch aircraft at faster speeds, requires less space and needs fewer sailors to operate, reported AP. On the USS Gerald R. Ford, EMALS reduced the number of sailors required to operate the catapults from about 12 to two, reported AP.

The Navy has also reported operational advantages from the system. In February, the Navy said EMALS allowed the USS Gerald R. Ford to launch and recover aircraft at a higher rate than older Nimitz-class carriers, according to AP.

As of March 2026, the USS Gerald R. Ford had completed 36,863 EMALS launches, according to Pentagon documents cited by Reuters.

How much could the switch cost?

The exact cost of replacing EMALS with steam catapults on the Doris Miller is not yet available. The design change is expected to cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, reported Reuters. The move would likely cost billions of dollars when its wider costs are considered, reported AP.

The cost concern comes from the fact that the Doris Miller is already well into its production process. General Atomics, the company that makes EMALS, said almost half of the production work on the system had already been completed.

“With nearly 50% of production complete, changing course now would introduce significant cost, schedule, and integration risks,” General Atomics said, as reported by Reuters.

Changing a major system after production has already started can require new engineering work and changes to other parts of a ship. General Atomics said the change would create cost, schedule and integration risks.

The White House memorandum itself also refers to the problems caused by frequent design changes in Navy shipbuilding. It says such changes have resulted in cost growth, delays and cancellations.

That creates a direct tension within the administration’s shipbuilding plans. Trump has ordered the Navy to change the carrier’s technology while the same memorandum calls for an end to the design changes that have contributed to higher costs and delays.

The final financial impact will depend on the plans prepared by the Pentagon and Navy.

What will happen to the Ford-class carriers?

The new order does not require the Navy to remove EMALS from every Ford-class carrier already planned. The USS Gerald R. Ford will remain equipped with EMALS. The forthcoming USS John F. Kennedy and USS Enterprise will also remain unchanged under the directive, reported AP.

The USS Doris Miller, the fourth ship in the class, will be the first carrier to receive the new changes. The keel for the Doris Miller is scheduled to be laid by the end of 2026, with delivery to the Navy expected in early 2034, reported Reuters.

The Navy must now prepare a plan for replacing the electromagnetic system with steam catapults.

The change could create additional engineering and integration work because the carrier was already designed around the newer system.

General Atomics said work on the Doris Miller’s catapults and arresting gear was already about halfway complete, reported AP.

The company warned that changing the design at this stage could affect cost and schedule. The directive therefore creates two different approaches within the same Ford-class programme. The first three carriers will use the electromagnetic technology, while the fourth will be redesigned to use steam catapults.

What does the change mean for Navy manpower?

The decision comes as the US Navy faces a shortage of sailors. The Navy had about 20,000 unfilled positions across the fleet at the start of 2026, reported AP. That makes the manpower requirement of the two catapult systems an important factor.

EMALS requires fewer sailors to operate than steam catapults. AP reported that the system reduced the number of sailors needed to operate the catapults on the USS Gerald R Ford from about 12 to two.

Returning to steam technology would therefore require more sailors to operate the catapults on the affected carrier.

The Navy has had recruiting successes over the past year, but AP reported that the service has struggled to translate those gains into enough sailors for its warships.

The decision to return to steam catapults therefore comes while the Navy faces an existing manpower gap. The administration will have to account for that requirement as it prepares the redesign plan for the Doris Miller.

What other Navy changes did Trump order?

Trump’s memorandum covers more than aircraft carrier catapults. The memorandum allows some foreign shipbuilders to build ships overseas for the US Navy under specific conditions, reported Reuters.

Foreign shipbuilders that have made “substantial and durable” investments in US shipyards will temporarily be allowed to build up to two ships at their parent shipyards. The ships would then be delivered to the US to help address gaps in the fleet.

The memorandum also directs the secretary of defense to establish a fifth Navy shipyard. The new shipyard would increase capacity for submarine and aircraft carrier repairs, reported Reuters.

The changes form part of Trump’s broader effort to increase US shipbuilding capacity. Huntington Ingalls Industries is the primary contractor for the Ford-class aircraft carriers, reported Reuters.

The company said the planned changes to the Doris Miller’s launch system would create additional cost and schedule risks.

The decision comes as the Trump administration seeks more money for the US military. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth estimated last month that the cost of the Iran war had reached $37.5 billion, reported AP.

Republicans also prepared a $95 billion package to fund the military and other White House priorities, reported AP. The House narrowly approved the package, while the Senate still has to act when it returns in September.

Trump has also proposed a $1.5 trillion defence budget for 2027, AP reported. The proposed changes to the Doris Miller will therefore come as Congress considers major military funding requirements.

The cost of the carrier redesign remains uncertain. Reuters has put the expected cost of the design change at hundreds of millions of dollars, while AP reported that the broader move could cost billions.

For now, the Pentagon and Navy have two months to prepare their plans. The Doris Miller will be the first Ford-class carrier affected by Trump’s order if the directive proceeds as instructed.

The first three Ford-class carriers will continue to use EMALS, while the future Doris Miller is set to become the first carrier in the class to return to steam catapults.