Trump's Order That Surprised the ABD Navy: Return to the Old System

U.S. President Donald Trump issued an order to discontinue the next‑generation electromagnetic system used to launch fighter aircraft from the Navy’s aircraft carriers. Trump requested that the upcoming USS Doris Miller carrier use the steam catapults that have been in use for decades instead of electromagnetic launchers.

New Order from Trump to the Navy

With the national security memorandum he signed on August 13, Trump paved the way for sweeping changes to the U.S. Navy and the country’s ship‑building industry.

One of the most striking parts of the decision concerned the electromagnetic aircraft‑launch systems used on Gerald R. Ford‑class nuclear carriers.

Trump demanded that the still‑under‑construction USS Doris Miller switch from an advanced electromagnetic launch system to a steam catapult system. He also ordered that the advanced weapon elevators be replaced with hydraulic systems.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Deputy Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao were given 60 days to prepare a plan on how to implement the change.

Very Expensive and Complex

The U.S. Navy has begun employing the electromagnetic railgun technology on Gerald R. Ford‑class aircraft carriers. The system conducted one of its first successful tests in 2015.

The Navy argues that the system offers advantages such as easier maintenance, higher efficiency and reliability, greater launch energy, and more precise control of aircraft launch speeds.

Trump, however, has long held a different view. In July at a Defense and Innovation Summit in Pennsylvania, he criticized the system, saying it would cost billions of dollars more for electromagnetic railguns and that the technology is unnecessarily complex.

Steam catapults, by contrast, have been used on U.S. aircraft carriers for nearly 50 years and constitute a proven technology.

A new shipyard will be established.

Trump's orders were not limited to the missile systems on aircraft carriers. The memorandum also called for new investments to increase the United States' military ship production and maintenance capacity.

The White House said that in recent years some naval projects have faced cost overruns and delays due to complex designs, continual changes, and capacity problems in the shipbuilding sector.

In this context, Trump ordered the establishment of a fifth naval shipyard to boost the maintenance and readiness capacity of aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines. According to the White House, this will be the first expansion of its kind in the United States in more than 80 years.

Special Center for Submarines

In addition to the new shipyard, a dedicated parts repair center for storing, repairing, and renewing components used in submarine programs is also planned.

Trump also demanded a comprehensive review, restructuring, and reduction of bureaucracy in the Naval Sea Systems Command, which is responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance of U.S. Navy ships and submarines.

The new regulations aim to tie the success metric to outcomes such as production speed and reduced bureaucracy.

Temporary Permission for Foreign Shipyards

The memorandum also paves the way for cooperation with foreign manufacturers to rapidly boost the United States' shipbuilding capacity. Accordingly, foreign shipbuilders could be allowed to temporarily produce up to two vessels in their home country’s shipyards; subsequent ships are expected to be built in U.S. yards.

The Trump administration cites the agreement signed between the United States and Finland, covering the production of a total of 11 icebreakers, as one example of this model.

With the new decisions, the Washington administration is preparing to revert to older, proven technology for launching fighter jets from aircraft carriers on one hand, while on the other it aims to expand the United States' military shipbuilding and maintenance infrastructure.