Trump directs Navy to return to steam catapults on aircraft carriers

President Trump ordered the U.S. Navy on Thursday to remove the electromagnetic catapult system on aircraft carriers that officials and experts argue would raise costs in the process. The memo says the Department of War shall restore both capacity and competition to the maritime industrial base and that the Navy will use proven, reliable and affordable technologies and ship designs. Billions of dollars more they spent on electric catapults and they're not good. General Atomics, which had a $1.2 billion contract for EMALS/AAG on the Doris Miller, said the decision warrants careful reconsideration, warning that with nearly 50 percent of production complete, the change would introduce significant cost, schedule and integration risks and could let adversaries close the capability gap. Ret. Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery called the reversal illogical, inefficient and a waste of money, saying EMALS reduce wear and tear on aircraft by providing smoother acceleration, weigh a lot less, and use significantly less energy and water. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) told Trump to stick to what he knows best - ballrooms, bankruptcy and bulls---, adding, I've launched off the front of aircraft carriers hundreds of times. The Ford cost over $13 billion. The Navy said preliminary data showed EMALS and AAG contributed to an increased sortie generation rate compared to that of a Nimitz-class carrier. The memo directs Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to establish a fifth Naval shipyard, create a Component Repair Center, review and reorganize NAVSEA, and allow foreign shipbuilders to build up to two ships in their parent shipyards while training U.S. workers.