President Donald Trump has ordered the US Navy to remove the electromagnetic system used to launch fighter jets from its newest aircraft carriers and return to older steam-powered catapults, according to a directive issued Thursday.
The order requires the Pentagon and Navy to submit plans within two months to remove the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, from the Ford-class carrier program. It also calls for the replacement of the class's electromagnetic weapons elevators. The changes are expected to cost billions of dollars and would return the Navy's newest carriers to technology that requires more sailors to operate and is harder to maintain.
USS Doris Miller to be first carrier affected
Trump's directive identifies the USS Doris Miller, the fourth Ford-class aircraft carrier, as the first ship to undergo the changes. The USS Gerald R. Ford, along with the upcoming USS John F. Kennedy and USS Enterprise, would not be affected.
However, making a major change to a ship after its design has been finalised could create significant technical and financial challenges.
General Atomics, which manufactures EMALS, told The Associated Press that the decision to remove the system from the Doris Miller deserved careful reconsideration. The company said work on the carrier's catapults and arresting gear was already about halfway complete.
It warned that changing the system at this stage could create significant costs, schedule disruptions and integration risks.
Trump has long criticised electromagnetic system
Trump's opposition to EMALS dates back to at least 2017, during his first presidential term. In an interview with Time magazine that year, he criticised the electromagnetic system as “not good” and claimed it lacked the power of traditional steam catapults.
He has continued to raise the issue at rallies and other public events, repeatedly expressing a preference for steam technology.
Trump's latest directive comes as the US military faces competing demands for funding and the Navy continues to deal with shortages of sailors aboard its ships.
Why the Navy adopted EMALS
EMALS is the Navy's newest carrier-based aircraft launch system, developed for the USS Gerald R. Ford and future Ford-class carriers. While it performs the same basic function as the traditional steam catapult, EMALS uses a different technology based on stored kinetic energy and solid-state electrical power conversion.
The system was designed to expand the operational capabilities of Ford-class carriers by allowing them to launch a wider range of aircraft, from lightweight unmanned platforms to heavy strike fighters. Its computer-controlled technology also enables greater monitoring and automation of the launch process.
The Navy has cited several advantages of EMALS over traditional steam catapults, including greater reliability and efficiency, more precise control of launch speeds and smoother acceleration. The system is also designed to support higher sortie rates while reducing long-term costs through lower manning and maintenance requirements.
EMALS can launch a broader range of aircraft while placing less stress on the ship and aircraft. The technology also provides greater launch-energy capacity and improvements in system weight, volume and maintenance.
The system is also intended to create quieter and cooler working and living conditions for sailors. More intuitive maintenance software is designed to reduce the time required to identify and troubleshoot problems.
EMALS offers operational advantages
On the USS Gerald R. Ford, EMALS reduced the number of sailors required to operate the catapults from roughly a dozen to two.
The Navy highlighted the system's capabilities in a February press release, saying the Ford could launch and recover aircraft at a higher rate than older Nimitz-class carriers.
The decision to return to steam catapults would therefore increase the personnel required to operate the launch system at a time when the Navy has struggled to fill positions aboard warships. At the beginning of the year, the service had about 20,000 unfilled positions across the fleet.
China and France also use electromagnetic technology
Trump's decision to roll back the technology comes as China's newest aircraft carriers use electromagnetic catapults. France has also said it plans to use the system on its next aircraft carrier.
The directive also highlights concerns over repeated changes to Navy ship designs. Trump's memo said constant design modifications have contributed to higher costs, delays and cancellations in the shipbuilding programme.
Decision comes amid major defence funding needs
The order comes as Congress considers budget and funding measures sought by the Trump administration for the Pentagon and the war with Iran.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth estimated last month that the cost of the war had reached $37.5 billion. Republicans were preparing a $95 billion package to fund the military and other White House priorities.
Hegseth described the supplemental war funding as an “urgent, necessary” injection of money and characterised Trump's proposed $1.5 trillion defence budget as a generational investment in the military.
The House narrowly approved both measures, while the Senate is expected to consider them when it returns in September.
