Trump orders steam catapults back on new carrier, sparking cost and delay concerns

President Donald Trump has directed the Navy to replace the electromagnetic launch system (EMALS) with steam catapults on the next aircraft carrier (to be named USS Doris Miller), a reversal experts say is outdated and could require redesigns, add billions to costs, and push deployment into the late 2030s. Critics note EMALS is smoother and cheaper to maintain, while restarting steam-catapult production would face manufacturing and supply-chain hurdles and potential delays.