Trump orders Navy to revert to steam catapults on carriers

techAug 14, 202628373

On August 13 Reuters reported that U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the Navy to abandon the electromagnetic aircraft launch system, EMALS, on its newest carriers and return to steam catapults. USNI News said experts predict redesigning future carriers to accommodate steam catapults and retrofitting existing ships would cost billions of dollars. Analysts and Navy sources warned the reversal would force a technical and ship-design rollback that increases manpower and maintenance demands compared with the electric system. The order revives a long-running dispute over EMALS reliability and will trigger major engineering work and program cost increases for the Navy's carrier program.

Philip Bump

@pbump.com

This 2018 phone call with a servicemember on Thanksgiving is, I think, the first time Trump talked about steam catapults on aircraft carriers. rollcall.com/factbase/tru...

873h ago

mikeydoubled6

In May 2017 he was ranting about them to Time:

Not Again5

I can't believe we're back to the steam catapults.

Walter Spartacus Mallette 🇺🇦4

I guess a coal powered fleet will be next 🙄

Tintin au Pays des Soviets1

ok but on the plus side he can draw a clock and identify a picture of a camel.

Hellishchildren

@hellishchildren.bsky.social

Where it started May 11, 2017 Trump wants aircraft carriers to use goddamn steam catapults instead of no good electromagnetic launchers because he was too fricking stupid to understand the explanation of how they work

558h ago

sotastrangla.bsky.social25

Was this the origin of his magnet tirade?

coloneltompeeping.bsky.social2

Come on guys. Elect Trump one (or two) more time and we could have a navy like this. The world won't be laughing at us then.

freakanatcha.bsky.social

@freakanatcha.bsky.social

Sailors are deployed for 9 months, suffering mental health issues, contaminated water, food shortages, no care pkgs... But Hegseth is worried about low-T levels, and Trump wants steam catapults on the aircraft carriers. Trump is going to lose his Iranian War.

248h ago

Robin D. Ashe1

Prolly in about two weeks.

Lauren Ashley Davis

@laurenmeidasa.bsky.social

President Donald Trump ordered the Navy to rip out the electromagnetic launch systems on its newest aircraft carriers. The move will force the Navy to revert to steam catapults, and the reversal is expected to cost billions. www.rawstory.com/trump-steam-...

218h ago

Steven Daniels 🐸🦀3

In two weeks, show him a picture of the Nimitz and tell him that's the new ship all steam catted up just like he wants it. Tell him the props are made of gold. ~

jane of the plains3

Donald Trump is a national security threat.

normbnyc.bsky.social2

What tRump is doing to the military: wasting missiles, blowing the budget on useless battleships, destroying morale, creating chaos, getting rid of all top command staff, is done to benefit Russia and China.

Gipper’s Gravespin1

Utterly asinine Where can an idea like this come from other than the Kremlin? Trump doesn’t know anything about tech- nothing

Crazy Cricket 💙🌵☕️ 🌊 🐶 🎶🪷1

Sooo when he says: “They have no navy, no army, no weapons, no drones”, he’s talking about us

Quoting this

@dennis74.bsky.social4

Can anyone tell me are soldiers jumping off ships at sea? Please respond if you know

I don't see architecture coming from you.

@bluefrommagioh.bsky.social

we could all save a ton of money if someone just launched HIM off a steam catapult.

298h ago

ᕼᗴᗪᗩ 🩵 🐶 🇺🇦✌️

@hedahunter.bsky.social

Eric and Don Jr must be buying into a Steam Catapults company

169h ago

Get Out The Mid Term Vote

@gotmtv.bsky.social

Trump orders Pentagon to redesign US aircraft carrier to use steam catapults to launch jets www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

123h ago

Jennifer Keith3

What the fuck does he know about anything? Who’s whispering in his ear?

Voice of Reason

@volchmute.bsky.social

Hmmm. Must mean Eric & Don Jr. bought shares in steam catapult companies last week.

198h ago

Rhodri Marsden

@rhodri.biz

Trump’s been obsessed with steam catapults on aircraft carriers for nearly ten years and you’ve got to wonder why he’s so fixated on it (this interview is from 2017)

101h ago

U.S. Naval Institute

@usni.org

New White House Memo Calls for Foreign-Built Warships, Return to Steam Catapults on Ford Carriers — USNI News news.usni.org/2026/08/13/n...

108h ago

Quoting this

Hupple’s Cat9

I will never regret my return to alcohol.

John W

@jcwill324.bsky.social

This is based on when he visited the USS Ford in May 2017 when they were struggling with IOC of the EMALS catapult. Talking with random navy guys on the deck, Trump developed his “steam catapult” expert status, which he has never abandoned. Even after they got EMALS working.

148h ago

Axiom Veritas

@axiomveritas.bsky.social

Scrapping magnetic catapults for steam engines on $13B supercarriers is a bold retro move. Next up: trading stealth jets for wooden triremes, replacing sonar with a guy shouting into a bucket, and hoisting canvas sails. Finally, naval strategy for the year 1776!