US President Donald Trump has ordered the abandonment of the modern Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) fighter launch system on aircraft carriers and a return to steam catapults. According to the order published Thursday, this requirement must be taken into account during the construction of the fourth Ford-class aircraft carrier, USS Doris Miller.
The document notes that the six major shipbuilding programs of the US Navy have accumulated a significant backlog of orders. To solve problems in the industry, the administration intends to rely on “proven, reliable and affordable technologies.”
“The U.S. Navy has faced a number of shipbuilding problems caused by overly complex designs and the practice of making repeated changes to ship designs. This has led to increased costs, delays and program cancellations,” the document says.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth must submit to the president within 60 days “a plan to replace the EMALS aircraft launch system and the Advanced Weapons Elevators with steam and hydraulic systems.”
It is assumed that the USS Doris Miller will be equipped with steam catapults. At the same time, the first three Ford-class aircraft carriers – the already commissioned USS Gerald R. Ford, as well as the USS John F. Kennedy and USS Enterprise under construction – will retain the EMALS system.
Since his presidency, Trump has argued that the steam system is more reliable. In particular, the Republican baselessly referred to the fact that magnets in modern equipment supposedly stop working when water gets on them. As CNN notes, he once again repeated these assertions at a defense summit in July.
As noted by the Associated Press (AP), the main advantages of the electromagnetic system include the ability to launch aircraft at higher rates, easier maintenance, reduced maintenance personnel and less space requirements on board. In particular, on the USS Gerald R. Ford, the introduction of an electromagnetic system made it possible to reduce the number of sailors servicing the system from approximately 12 to two.
A return to the steam system, which requires more specialists, could further complicate the situation with personnel shortages in the US Navy, writes AP. Despite improved recruiting rates over the past year, the Navy still faces personnel shortages, with about 20,000 positions vacant at the start of the year.
Additionally, redesigning the USS Doris Miller, whose design has already been approved, could be challenging. General Atomics reported that work on the catapults and aerofinishers for this aircraft carrier is approximately half completed.
