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Trump shifts carrier catapults
President Donald Trump directed the U.S. Navy to abandon the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) on future Gerald R. Ford-class carriers and return to steam catapults, with the change to occur on the fourth ship, the USS Doris Miller.
“Trump signed a national security memorandum directing the change”
Reuters said Trump signed a national security memorandum ordering the shift and that the design change is expected to cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
The Associated Press reported the memo directs the Pentagon and the Navy to present plans to remove EMALS within two months and to replace the Ford-class carrier’s electromagnetic weapons elevators.
Trump has repeatedly criticized EMALS, including at a defense summit in Pennsylvania last month when he said, "Billions of dollars ?more they spent on electric ?catapults ?and they're not good," and the directive now turns that preference into a shipbuilding requirement.
As of March 2026, Pentagon documents cited by Reuters said the USS Gerald R. Ford had completed 36,863 EMALS launches, even as the Doris Miller is slated to be redesigned for steam and hydraulic systems.
Opposition and manufacturer warnings
The shift drew pushback from naval voices and contractors, with CNN reporting that Bryan Clark said the redesign would require the USS Doris Miller to be redesigned and could delay the carrier "until the end of the next decade."
General Atomics, the maker of EMALS, warned that changing course midstream would introduce major cost and schedule risk, and Reuters quoted the company saying, "With nearly 50% of production complete, changing course now would introduce significant cost, schedule, and integration risks,".
ABC News said the memo would direct the Pentagon and the Navy to present plans to remove EMALS within two months and also replace the Ford-class carrier's electromagnetic weapons elevators.
In a separate dispute over what the Navy is trying to fix, CNN said a White House spokesperson directed the network to a fact sheet arguing the memorandum aims to "fix critical long-term issues" in Navy shipbuilding and ship repair programs.
Trump’s directive also comes as the U.S. military seeks funding from Congress, and AP reported Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth estimated last month that the war’s cost grew to $37.5 billion as Republicans prepared a $95 billion package.
What changes next for the fleet
The memo’s immediate operational target is the USS Doris Miller, which Reuters said has its keel slated to be laid by the end of 2026 and delivery anticipated by the Navy in early 2034, even as the launch system is being redesigned.
“That will leave the USS Gerald R. Ford, as well as the forthcoming USS John F. Kennedy and USS Enterprise, untouched.”
AP said the directive would leave the USS Gerald R. Ford, as well as the forthcoming USS John F. Kennedy and USS Enterprise, untouched, while General Atomics told the outlet that changing course now would introduce significant cost, schedule, and integration risks.
CNN reported that EMALS aboard the USS Ford cut the number of sailors needed to operate the catapults from about a dozen to two, and it said the steam catapult has more parts such as valves, pressure regulators and pistons.
The Hill reported that retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery called the decision to revert to steam catapults "illogical, inefficient and a waste of money," and said EMALS "reduce wear and tear on aircraft by providing smoother acceleration."
Beyond the catapult swap, Reuters said the memo also orders new investments in U.S. shipyards, including a new public shipyard for submarine repair and incentives for foreign firms to co-build ships and train U.S. workers, while instructing the secretary of defense to establish a fifth Navy shipyard.
