Trump Orders US Navy to Ditch High-Tech Catapults for Steam, Allows Ships Built Abroad

US President Donald Trump has issued a national security memorandum directing the US Navy to abandon its advanced electromagnetic launch technology on an upcoming aircraft carrier and revert to older steam catapults, while also permitting select naval vessels to be constructed overseas for the first time in decades.

The memorandum, titled "Rebuilding the United States Navy and America’s Shipbuilding Industrial Base," orders defense leadership, working in consultation with the Secretary of the Navy, to deliver a comprehensive transition plan with resourcing requirements and timelines within 60 days.

Return to Steam and Hydraulic Systems

Under the directive, the Navy must strip out the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Weapons Elevators from the future aircraft carrier USS Doris Miller (CVN-81) and replace them with traditional steam and hydraulic systems.

The order applies solely to the USS Doris Miller. The first three Gerald R. Ford-class carriers—the USS Gerald R. Ford, USS John F. Kennedy, and USS Enterprise—will remain unaffected. As of March 2026, the lead ship, USS Gerald R. Ford, had carried out 36,863 successful EMALS launches, according to Pentagon records.

The keel for the USS Doris Miller is scheduled to be laid in late 2026, with naval delivery anticipated in early 2034. Huntington Ingalls serves as the primary contractor constructing the carrier class.

The redesign decision comes despite significant progress on the vessel's planned equipment. General Atomics, the manufacturer behind the EMALS hardware, stated that production for the Doris Miller was already nearly 50 percent complete. The contractor cautioned that scrapping the design would introduce substantial cost, schedule, and integration risks.

Foreign Shipyards Cleared for Construction

Alongside the carrier redesign, the presidential directive introduces a major policy shift allowing foreign shipbuilders to construct US naval vessels.

Under the terms outlined in the memorandum, foreign shipbuilding firms that have made substantial and durable investments in American shipyards will be temporarily permitted to build up to two ships inside their overseas parent shipyards.