Trump orders US Navy to revert to steam catapults despite ongoing EMALS upgrades
President Donald Trump has instructed the US Navy to abandon electromagnetic launch technology and return to traditional steam catapults on new aircraft carriers. The directive conflicts with active contracts already awarded to improve the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS). Significant construction work is already underway on the USS Doris Miller, making a mid-course design switch technically and logistically complex. The move is seen as a step backward by some, particularly as China equips its newest carriers with electromagnetic launch systems. Critics warn the reversal could affect the operational capabilities and modernization trajectory of future US carrier fleets.
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