In a significant shift in naval strategy, former President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to abandon modern electromagnetic launch systems in favour of traditional steam catapults for the upcoming USS Doris Miller aircraft carrier. This directive, outlined in a national security memorandum signed on Thursday, marks a culmination of Trump’s long-standing criticism of contemporary naval technology, which he has labelled overly complicated and expensive.
A Long-standing Preference for Steam
Since 2017, Trump has consistently expressed his preference for steam catapults, asserting that the current digital systems are not only inefficient but also burdensome. During a conversation with Time magazine in 2017, he recounted an interaction with a Navy officer regarding the digital launch system. “It sounded bad to me. Digital. They have digital. What is digital? And it’s very complicated; you have to be Albert Einstein to figure it out,” Trump stated, dismissing the system’s complexity and cost.
The recent memorandum gives Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao a 60-day deadline to devise a plan to replace the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Weapons Elevators with steam and hydraulic systems for the USS Doris Miller, which is already facing significant construction delays.
Resistance from Naval Leaders
The announcement has been met with considerable skepticism from senior naval and industry officials, who argue that dismantling the current system would incur substantial costs and delays. General Atomics, the company responsible for the EMALS, has cautioned that altering the ship’s design at this stage, with nearly half of the work already completed, could introduce significant risks to both schedule and integration.
Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona and a former astronaut, expressed his disapproval of Trump’s intervention. “I’ve launched off the front of aircraft carriers hundreds of times… and even I wouldn’t suggest to the Navy how to engineer specific systems on its ships,” he remarked, advising Trump to stick to his areas of expertise, which he characterised as “ballrooms, bankruptcy, and bullshit.”
The Impact on the USS Abraham Lincoln
This decision comes at a time when the USS Abraham Lincoln is facing a mental health crisis among its crew, who are enduring an unprecedented deployment related to the ongoing conflict with Iran. The carrier’s approximately 5,000 sailors and Marines are grappling with the pressures of extended periods at sea, raising concerns about their well-being amidst the demands of military operations.
Why it Matters
Trump’s insistence on reverting to steam catapults underscores a broader debate within military circles about the balance between traditional and modern technologies in warfare. As the US Navy navigates complex geopolitical challenges, the implications of this decision could resonate beyond just the design of a single aircraft carrier, potentially influencing naval strategy and operational readiness for years to come. The tension between innovation and tradition in military hardware reflects deeper issues concerning budget allocation, technological advancement, and the future of naval power.
