Aircraft Carrier   Defense Policy & Military Strategy  

Trump orders Navy to abandon electromagnetic carrier catapults and return to steam

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President Donald Trump has directed the U.S. Navy to reverse course on electromagnetic aircraft launch systems and restore traditional steam catapults aboard aircraft carriers. The order follows his longstanding criticism of the newer technology and faces opposition from senior naval officers, according to reports and a TIME interview.

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

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • The directive would reverse a central carrier-aviation modernization effort and affect the launch systems supporting future U.S. naval air operations.
  • Navy officials have opposed the change, setting up a significant implementation and requirements decision; the order follows an earlier directive to replace the carrier launch system that was reported as potentially costing billions of dollars.

Reported By

Bloomberg Navy Times
Sources Tracked
2
First Seen
2026-08-13T14:21:09.175739-07:00
Latest Update
2026-08-13T15:36:33.651915-07:00
Coverage
Defense

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