Trump Orders the Navy to Return to an Older Launch System
The new mandate would likely cost billions of dollars and revert the Navy's most advanced ships to a system that takes more sailors to operate and is more difficult to maintain.
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lamplighter
Joined 2013/04/13Visited 2026/08/15
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Trump Orders the Navy to Return to an Older Launch System (22 comments) ...
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Trump orders Navy to abandon carrier launch system, return to steam catapults reut.rs/4g7WsI6[image or embed] -- Reuters (@reuters.com) 5:45 PM · Aug 13, 2026
Trump orders Navy to abandon carrier launch system, return to steam catapults reut.rs/4g7WsI6[image or embed]
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More from the article ...
... The memo directs the Pentagon and the Navy to present Trump with plans to remove the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, also known as EMALS, within two months. It also says the Ford-class carrier's electromagnetic weapons elevators should be replaced. The move comes after years of Trump railing against the new, magnetically powered catapult system that shoots fighter jets off the deck of the carriers. It also comes at a time when the U.S. military is trying to find funding from Congress for all its desired equipment and as the Navy is struggling to fill its ships with enough sailors. Trump's ire with the new technology goes back to at least 2017 in his first term, when he claimed the new system is "not good" and "doesn't have the power" of the older, steam systems in an interview with Time magazine. ...
The move comes after years of Trump railing against the new, magnetically powered catapult system that shoots fighter jets off the deck of the carriers. It also comes at a time when the U.S. military is trying to find funding from Congress for all its desired equipment and as the Navy is struggling to fill its ships with enough sailors.
Trump's ire with the new technology goes back to at least 2017 in his first term, when he claimed the new system is "not good" and "doesn't have the power" of the older, steam systems in an interview with Time magazine. ...
#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-08-14 01:14 PM | Reply
Another view ...
Mark Kelly on aircraft carrier catapult order: 'Donald Trump knows nothing about this stuff' thehill.com
... Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) blasted President Trump on Thursday for ordering the U.S. Navy to revert to older catapult systems on its aircraft carriers, arguing the change would be costly while questioning Trump's qualifications to make such a call. "He's a marginally failed real estate developer with multiple bankruptcies," Kelly said in an interview with MS NOW. "He shouldn't be weighing in on systems, on aircraft carriers." ... The Arizona Democrat has said that despite his own experience in hundreds of career takeoffs and landings, his degree in aeronautical and marine engineering and his work as a test pilot, he still would not tell Navy engineers how to design a carrier. "Donald Trump knows nothing about this stuff," the senator continued in the interview. "Not in any world would I suggest to the Navy to change the design of some system on a ship at this point." He added, "I mean, does the guy know nothing about the way our government is supposed to work and how it's supposed to be managed?" ...
"He's a marginally failed real estate developer with multiple bankruptcies," Kelly said in an interview with MS NOW. "He shouldn't be weighing in on systems, on aircraft carriers." ...
The Arizona Democrat has said that despite his own experience in hundreds of career takeoffs and landings, his degree in aeronautical and marine engineering and his work as a test pilot, he still would not tell Navy engineers how to design a carrier.
"Donald Trump knows nothing about this stuff," the senator continued in the interview. "Not in any world would I suggest to the Navy to change the design of some system on a ship at this point."
He added, "I mean, does the guy know nothing about the way our government is supposed to work and how it's supposed to be managed?" ...
#2 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-08-14 01:16 PM | Reply
This is pretty funny. When do they install the Italian marble flight decks?
#3 | Posted by REDIAL at 2026-08-14 01:18 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1
No more argument from the remnants of MAGA that Donald Trump isn't one superficial and stupid mofo.
#4 | Posted by Zed at 2026-08-14 01:52 PM | Reply
Trump is re-purposing those electrons for ICE shock gloves.
#5 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-08-14 01:55 PM | Reply
He will TACO on this, of course. Or it will set the navy shipbuilding program back about ten years.
#6 | Posted by REDIAL at 2026-08-14 01:56 PM | Reply
Putin smiles.
#7 | Posted by morris at 2026-08-14 04:29 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1
Donald Trump knows nothing about this stuff'
He knows enough.
He knows someone who is giving him money wants to provide the parts for the steam catapult version.
#8 | Posted by jpw at 2026-08-14 05:24 PM | Reply
#7 | POSTED BY MORRIS
And Jesus Wept.
The War Pigs have the Power.
Only the Weak Will Fail.
And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy My brothers. And you will know I am Trumpy, Lord of the Maggots when I lay My vengeance upon you!
#9 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-08-14 06:25 PM | Reply
How dare Trump order the use of lower cost proven technology. He must be in the pocket of "big steam catapult".
#10 | Posted by visitor_ at 2026-08-14 09:00 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1
I wonder what they will have to remove from the ships in order to do this? One of the advantages of removing the steam system was it freed up a lot more space under the deck. Now that space will be gone. Another advantage was it took a lot less people to operate new new setup. Now they will need to staff back up for steam, and add accommodations for more men.
#11 | Posted by REDIAL at 2026-08-14 10:23 PM | Reply
Is the disgusting orange chomo going to order the Air Force to start using bi-planes again?
#12 | Posted by reinheitsgebot at 2026-08-15 12:03 AM | Reply
#8
We were talking about this in the office yesterday. Our consensus was that someone in the Trump clan is going to make money off of this. No other reason.
#13 | Posted by madbomber at 2026-08-15 04:10 AM | Reply
#10
I guess I didn't know that Trump was an engineer or expert on Naval ship building.
#14 | Posted by madbomber at 2026-08-15 04:12 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1
This is one crazy country in one crazy time. We vacillate between people like Barack Obama as President, the best in my book, and Donald Trump as President, not only the worse but, writing as one as old as he, utterly without the capacity to learn to even care that he is destroying our country. I do know one thing though...there is no such thing as a good Republican in this time of Trump...they are profiting off his greedy and hate.
#15 | Posted by Hughmass at 2026-08-15 06:31 AM | Reply
He must be in the pocket of "big steam catapult".
#10 | POSTED BY VISITOR_
It's more likely that he is somehow connected to the company that will make the necessary changes and that will profit from the decision. Let me guess without looking. He or someone in his crime family has stocks or just bought stock in the affected company or companies.
#16 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-08-15 12:23 PM | Reply
How dare Trump order the use of lower cost proven technology. #10 | Posted by visitor_
It is not lower cost. It is especially not lower cost to scrap existing systems and install steam age technology.
#17 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-08-15 12:30 PM | Reply
#17
I didn't get that from the article. I thought he was only ordering that future ships had steam catapults.
Either way, he should spend more time playing golf and less time worrying about carrier aviation.
#18 | Posted by madbomber at 2026-08-15 12:58 PM | Reply
It is especially not lower cost to scrap existing systems and install steam age technology.
I can't even imagine how much this would cost. There a reason why the first ship in a class costs twice as much as the rest... it's used to iron out the bugs in the original design. Now, after 3 are built, they want to start on a new design? That's insane.
Maybe he just wants to start a whole new class of carriers so he can name it after himself? That makes as much sense as anything. Hegseth is never going to let a carrier be named after a black guy.
#19 | Posted by REDIAL at 2026-08-15 01:00 PM | Reply
How dare Trump order the use of lower cost proven technology.
Steam is not cheaper and it's not safer. Steam boilers are inherently dangerous and corrosive. And require more manpower and maintenance.
Navy leadership has consistently defended electromagnetic systems for providing smoother launches with less structural wear on aircraft and requiring fewer operators over time.
Though they probably won't even comment on it now. Which is probably wise.
#20 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-08-15 01:09 PM | Reply
I thought he was only ordering that future ships had steam catapults.
Not only steam catapults, but also hydraulic elevators. A Ford class carrier has 4 catapults and 14 elevators.
Can you imagine how hard it would be to install 4 steam catapults and 14 hydraulic systems into a hull not designed to fit them? Not to mention maintenance programs and spare parts for all that?
#21 | Posted by REDIAL at 2026-08-15 01:09 PM | Reply
Vistor_'s comment is instructive.
It donstrares how Trumpers show their love for Trump by inventing "facts" as needed to support and defend Trump.
It doesn't matter if it isn't true.
Vistor_'s love for Trump makes it true, in his own mind.
#22 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-08-15 01:15 PM | Reply
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