Washington, Aug. 14 -- President Trump directed the Navy to scrap the electromagnetic launch systems on its aircraft carriers and return to the older steam catapult technology,a move defense officials and experts warn could actually drive costs up rather than down.
The order applies to future Ford-class carriers, including the Doris Miller, which is currently under construction. Trump wants those ships built with steam-powered catapults and hydraulic systems instead of the Navy's newer Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Weapons Elevators.
In a memo explaining the decision, Trump said the Department of War needs to "restore both capacity and competition to the maritime industrial base as it expands our naval force ...