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Trump orders Navy to replace EMALS with steam catapults on future Ford-class carrier USS Doris Miller

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President Donald Trump has directed the U.S. Navy to remove the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) from the future USS Doris Miller, the fourth Ford-class carrier, and revert to steam catapults. The decision risks additional cost and schedule delays for the carrier program after years of EMALS development.

Discovered 2026-08-13T14:21:09.175739-07:00 | 2026-08-13T14:21:09.175739-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • The order would alter the launch-and-recovery architecture of the fourth Ford-class carrier, with the retrofit expected to create billions of dollars in costs and potential schedule delays.
  • The decision reverses more than a decade of Navy development and procurement centered on EMALS, introducing execution risk for carrier construction and future naval aviation planning.

Reported By

Defense Daily The Hill Economic Times CNN insidedefense.com FlightGlobal
Sources Tracked
25
First Seen
2026-08-13T14:21:09.175739-07:00
Latest Update
2026-08-14T14:35:04.176698-07:00
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Defense

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