Trump Directs Navy to Ditch Electromagnetic Catapults on Future Carriers
President Donald Trump has issued an executive order directing the US Navy to abandon electromagnetic aircraft catapults on future aircraft carriers and return to steam-powered systems, while also reverting ammunition lifts to hydraulic operation.
The decision, published Thursday evening, targets the Ford-class carrier programme. It follows years of presidential criticism of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System installed on USS Gerald R. Ford. The first ship of the class cost $13 billion and experienced early operational problems with its new catapults. Trump has called the systems less capable and too complex, and has said he consulted a service member nostalgic for steam catapults before pushing for the change.
The Navy has defended the electromagnetic technology, noting roughly 37,000 launches aboard USS Ford, lower crewing requirements and greater flexibility to launch different aircraft types. The order is expected to affect Doris Miller, the fourth Ford-class carrier, whose construction was due to begin before the end of the year.
General Atomics, the electromagnetic catapult designer, warned that with production nearly 50% complete, reversing course now would create significant cost, schedule and integration risks. The company added that the move could weaken US readiness and technological superiority and allow adversaries to close the capability gap.
What the Steam-Catapult Reversal Means for the Navy, General Atomics and France
An Executive Order Against the Navy's Technical Judgment
The directive is being driven by presidential preference rather than a formal Pentagon recommendation. The Navy continues to cite the electromagnetic system's operational record, lower manpower needs and flexibility, while Trump invokes frustration from his first term and advice from a service member. The political nature of the order was underlined by Senator Mark Kelly, a former naval aviator and astronaut, who said he would not presume to advise the Navy on specific shipboard systems and told Trump to stick to what he knows best.
Doris Miller: A Multi-Billion-Dollar Late Change
General Atomics says production is nearly 50% complete, meaning the redesign would reach deep into an already maturing ship programme. Reintroducing steam catapults and hydraulic ammunition lifts would require significant engineering changes to power generation, deck systems and integration. The article reports that revising the Doris Miller plans will take at least several months, and the Pentagon is simultaneously negotiating a multi-billion-dollar supplemental budget with Congress for the war in Iran and munitions restocking, intensifying cost pressure.
France's Carrier Programme Has a New Vulnerability
France's future carrier, France Libre, is due to be equipped with electromagnetic catapults developed by General Atomics. French planners were reassured by the existence of a robust US industrial chain for the systems, which would help with maintenance and support. If the US Navy abandons the technology, that industrial logic could weaken, leaving France exposed to higher lifecycle costs or support uncertainty for a system no longer backed by the main US programme.
China and the Strategic Cost of Reversal
China has developed its own electromagnetic catapult technology for its carriers. General Atomics warns that abandoning the system could allow US adversaries to close the capability gap. Reverting future US carriers to steam would lock the next ships into an older launch technology while a peer competitor continues to refine the newer approach.
What Defense Planners, Suppliers and Allies Should Watch Next
For the US Navy and General Atomics
- Treat the Doris Miller redesign as a formal programme change, not a simple engineering tweak: General Atomics says production is nearly 50% complete, so both parties should prepare for cost, schedule and integration renegotiations.
- Expect implementation to take at least several months, and possibly longer, because the Pentagon is already negotiating a multi-billion-dollar supplemental budget with Congress for the Iran war and munitions restocking.
For France and Other Customers of the System
- French defence authorities should urgently seek written assurance from Washington that General Atomics' electromagnetic catapult line and support network will remain available for the France Libre carrier, since France's procurement decision relied on robust US industrial support.
For Defense Suppliers and Planners
- Do not assume the order is final: the November elections could return Democrats to a stronger position in Congress before the Doris Miller plans are fully revised, and the Navy's technical leadership has already defended the electromagnetic system.
- Factor China into capability planning: Beijing has its own electromagnetic catapult development, and a US abandonment may narrow the technology gap the Ford-class was intended to hold.
Risk & Opportunity Assessment
| Commercial Risk | High | General Atomics faces loss of future US Navy electromagnetic catapult orders and a weakened production line, while the Doris Miller redesign threatens cost and schedule overruns. |
| Competitive Risk | High | General Atomics and Navy leadership warn that abandoning electromagnetic catapults could allow China, which has developed its own system, to close the carrier capability gap. |
| Regulatory Risk | Medium | The executive order may be slowed or reversed by Congress; the Pentagon is negotiating a multi-billion-dollar budget supplement and November elections could give Democrats more influence. |
| Reputation Risk | Medium | The directive publicly pits the president against Navy technical leadership and triggered sharp criticism from Senator Mark Kelly, framing the reversal as political interference in warship design. |
| Technology Disruption | Transformational | The order would reverse a core Ford-class technology choice by returning future carriers to steam catapults and hydraulic ammunition lifts first fielded decades ago. |
| Commercial Opportunity | Low | The story identifies no clear commercial winner; legacy steam-system suppliers may benefit but are not named, and France's reliance on General Atomics creates uncertainty rather than opportunity. |
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