Trump orders Navy to bring back steam catapults on new aircraft carrier
President Donald Trump has signed a national security memorandum directing the Pentagon to replace the modern electromagnetic launch systems on a new Ford-class aircraft carrier with the steam-powered catapults he has championed for nearly a decade. The order, signed Thursday, gives Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao 60 days to produce a plan for the change on the USS Doris Miller, a carrier already two years behind schedule.
The memorandum specifically calls for replacing the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Weapons Elevators with steam and hydraulic systems on the Doris Miller, which is under construction at Newport News, Virginia. Trump has repeatedly criticized EMALS since 2017, calling it overly complicated and expensive compared to the steam catapults used on older carriers.
Why Trump wants steam catapults back
Trump has told the same story about meeting a Navy officer who preferred steam catapults at least once a year since 2017, according to a review of his public remarks. In a 2017 interview with Time magazine, Trump recounted asking about the ship's launch system and being told it was digital. He said he replied, “You’re going to goddamned steam, the digital costs hundreds of millions of dollars more money and it’s no good.”
He repeated the story in 2018 during a Thanksgiving call with the USS Ronald Reagan, at a 2019 fundraiser, in 2020 campaign speeches, at CPAC in 2021, in Texas in 2022, on the Iowa campaign trail in 2023, and with Tucker Carlson before the 2024 election. Last month, at the Army War College, Trump recalled a shipyard worker telling him, “Steam is better, sir. We can fix it with a hammer and a blowtorch. When the electric goes bad, I have to send to MIT to get geniuses over here.”
Navy and industry leaders push back
Senior Navy and industry officials have resisted the move, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the order. They cite the enormous cost and complexity of tearing out a system that is integral to the Ford-class design. General Atomics, which builds EMALS, said its work on the Doris Miller is nearly 50 percent complete and that “changing course now would introduce significant cost, schedule, and integration risks.”
Senator Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat and former astronaut, criticized the order sharply on social media. “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. “Donald Trump should stick to what he knows best - ballrooms, bankruptcy, and bullshit.”
What this means for Iowa and national defense
For Iowans, the debate over catapult systems may seem distant, but it reflects broader questions about military spending, technological reliability, and government accountability. The Ford-class carriers are among the most expensive weapons systems ever built, with costs exceeding $13 billion per ship. Trump has argued that steam catapults are cheaper and more reliable, while critics say reversing course now would waste billions and delay critical naval capabilities.
The order comes as the USS Abraham Lincoln and its 5,000 sailors and marines endure a record-breaking deployment tied to the war with Iran, with reports of an intensifying mental health crisis onboard. The decision also raises questions about the future of EMALS, which is installed on the USS Gerald R. Ford and planned for other carriers.
What happens next
The Pentagon has 60 days to deliver a plan for the redesign. The Navy and General Atomics are expected to continue lobbying against the change, but Trump has shown no sign of backing down. For now, the future of the USS Doris Miller and its launch system remains uncertain, with billions of dollars and the readiness of the U.S. carrier fleet hanging in the balance.
As the debate continues, Iowans can expect to hear more from Trump on the campaign trail, where he has made the steam catapult story a staple of his speeches. Whether the Navy ultimately complies with the order or finds a way to delay it, the decision will have lasting implications for American naval power and taxpayer dollars.