Trump orders US carriers back to steam catapults as China, France embrace EMALS technology

President Donald Trump has ordered the US Navy to replace the advanced electromagnetic catapult system used on its newest aircraft carriers with older steam-powered technology, according to a directive issued Thursday.

The move would likely cost billions of dollars and force the Navy to revert to a system that requires more sailors to operate and is more difficult to maintain.

The directive gives the Pentagon and Navy two months to present plans to remove the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) from Ford-class carriers. It also calls for the replacement of the class’s electromagnetic weapons elevators.

Trump has repeatedly criticised EMALS, a magnetically powered system designed to launch fighter jets from aircraft carrier decks. During his first term, he described the technology as inadequate and argued that steam catapults were more powerful.

The directive comes as the US military faces competing demands for funding and the Navy continues to struggle with personnel shortages. At the same time, China’s newest aircraft carriers use electromagnetic launch systems, while France plans to deploy the technology on its next carrier.

The USS Doris Miller, the fourth Ford-class carrier, would be the first ship affected by the proposed changes. The USS Gerald R. Ford, USS John F. Kennedy and USS Enterprise would remain equipped with the electromagnetic system.

However, redesigning the Doris Miller at this stage could prove costly and complicated. General Atomics, which manufactures EMALS, said the catapult and arresting-gear work on the carrier is already about halfway complete and warned that changing course could create significant cost, schedule and integration risks.

The company said the decision to abandon EMALS on the Doris Miller “warrants careful reconsideration.”

Trump’s directive itself acknowledged that repeated design changes have contributed to rising costs, delays and cancellations in Navy shipbuilding.

EMALS has several advantages over steam catapults, including faster aircraft launches, lower maintenance requirements, reduced space demands and a smaller manpower requirement. On the USS Gerald R. Ford, the system reduced the number of sailors needed to operate the catapults from roughly 12 to two.

Reverting to steam technology would therefore increase the Navy’s manpower burden at a time when it is already struggling to fill positions aboard its warships. The Navy began 2026 with about 20,000 unfilled positions across the fleet despite improved recruiting.

The funding implications could also become a major issue as Congress considers additional military spending. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has estimated that the war in Iran has cost $37.5 billion, while the administration is seeking additional funding alongside a proposed $1.5 trillion defence budget.

The House has approved the relevant measures, but the Senate is expected to consider them after returning in September.