ABC News

Trump orders the Navy to return to an older system of launching jets off aircraft carriers

PLA Military Updates

RepRonnyJackson

Ginasassyass

francoboca

svdate

DittiePE

SenMarkKelly

The Washington Times

New Republic

Trump Orders Navy to Spend Billions of Dollars Undoing Years of Work

The Wall Street Journal

Trump Orders Navy to Restore Older Tech on Aircraft Carriers, Costing Billions

The New York Times

Trump Live Updates: Judge Dismisses Federal Antisemitism Case Against Harvard

AP News

Substack

Keithdb80

Frank-News

Asharq Al-Awsat

Trump Orders the Navy to Return to an Older System of Launching Jets off Aircraft Carriers

Gina Beana Fofina

Spectrumlocalnews

Trump orders Navy to use older steam catapults for jets

CTVNews

The Daily Beast

Trump Orders Navy to Tear Up Ships to Fulfill His Crazy Steam Fantasy

The Washington Post

Red State

Trump Is Bringing Steam Catapults Back to Ford-Class Carriers

EuroNews

Trump orders Navy to return to older system of launching jets off aircraft carriers

The Hill

Mark Kelly on aircraft carrier catapult order: Donald Trump knows nothing about this stuff

The Independent

Trump finally orders Navy to return steam catapults in obsession that could cost billions

Trump directs Navy to return to steam catapults on aircraft carriers

The Guardian

Trump orders Pentagon to redesign US aircraft carrier to use steam catapults to launch jets

Donald Trump orders US Navy to use dated fighter launching technology on aircraft carriers

The White House

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Rebuilds the U.S. Navy and Americas Shipbuilding Industrial Base

Donald Trump

Mark Rutte

Mette Frederiksen

Polymarket

Politico

J.P. Morgan

Maine

Jens-Frederik Nielsen

White House Xray

Mai'a Cross

Marc Jacobsen

MEA Denmark

Andrew Bridgen

Kalu Aja

Erna Solberg

"We already secured military access via the 1951 Defense Agreement—making force both illegal and strategically redundant."

"There is an agreement from 1950 that allows the US to have as many American bases they want in Greenland."

"There is a 31% chance that Trump and Greenland will sign a deal by December 31st, 2026."

"There is an ongoing diplomatic track with the United States."

"We are ready to negotiate a better partnership and so on, but sovereignty is a red line."

"A revised defense agreement may also be proposed – largely symbolic, but offering Trump a visible ‘win’ that could cool things off.”

“The door is already wide open... the U.S. has an open invitation to increase the size of its military base and potentially have other military bases there.”

"I have no doubt we can do this quite fast. Certainly I would hope for 2026, I hope even early in 2026."

“It’s really being negotiated now, the details of it, but essentially it’s total access. There’s no end, there’s no time limit.”

Will the US Sign a Formal Agreement Granting Expanded Military Access or Basing Rights in Greenland?

President Trump signed a national security memorandum on Thursday directing the U.S. Navy to remove the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System from its newest Ford-class aircraft carriers and replace it with steam-powered catapults, a change experts say will likely cost billions of dollars.

President Trump signed a national security memorandum on Thursday directing the U.S. Navy to remove the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System from its newest Ford-class aircraft carriers and replace it with steam-powered catapults, a change experts say will likely cost billions of dollars.

The directive targets the USS Doris Miller, the fourth Ford-class carrier currently under construction, while the USS Gerald R. Ford, USS John F. Kennedy and USS Enterprise will remain unaffected. General Atomics, the EMALS manufacturer, said work on the Doris Miller's catapults was already halfway complete.

The directive targets the USS Doris Miller, the fourth Ford-class carrier currently under construction, while the USS Gerald R. Ford, USS John F. Kennedy and USS Enterprise will remain unaffected. General Atomics, the EMALS manufacturer, said work on the Doris Miller's catapults was already halfway complete.

General Atomics warned that altering the Doris Miller's design at this stage would introduce significant cost, schedule and integration risks. Trump's memo also cited the Navy's history of constant design changes as a key factor behind cost growth, delays and cancellations in shipbuilding.

General Atomics warned that altering the Doris Miller's design at this stage would introduce significant cost, schedule and integration risks. Trump's memo also cited the Navy's history of constant design changes as a key factor behind cost growth, delays and cancellations in shipbuilding.

EMALS reduced the number of sailors needed to operate carrier catapults from roughly a dozen to two. The Navy reported in February that the system enabled the USS Ford to launch and recover aircraft at a higher rate than Nimitz-class predecessors.

EMALS reduced the number of sailors needed to operate carrier catapults from roughly a dozen to two. The Navy reported in February that the system enabled the USS Ford to launch and recover aircraft at a higher rate than Nimitz-class predecessors.

Naval expert Bryan Clark of the Hudson Institute told The Wall Street Journal that reverting to steam would require more sailors for maintenance, noting the Ford-class carries approximately 500 fewer crew members in part due to its electric systems. China's newest carriers use electromagnetic catapults, and France plans to adopt the system on its next carrier.

Naval expert Bryan Clark of the Hudson Institute told The Wall Street Journal that reverting to steam would require more sailors for maintenance, noting the Ford-class carries approximately 500 fewer crew members in part due to its electric systems. China's newest carriers use electromagnetic catapults, and France plans to adopt the system on its next carrier.

Trump's opposition to EMALS dates to at least 2017, when he criticized the system in a Time magazine interview. The directive comes as the Pentagon seeks a $95 billion military funding package and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth estimated the Iran war's cost at $37.5 billion, with the Senate still to vote on both measures.

Trump's opposition to EMALS dates to at least 2017, when he criticized the system in a Time magazine interview. The directive comes as the Pentagon seeks a $95 billion military funding package and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth estimated the Iran war's cost at $37.5 billion, with the Senate still to vote on both measures.

Trump Orders Navy to Swap Hi-Tech Catapults for Steam

Trump ordersOrders the Navy to returnSwap toHi-Tech anCatapults olderfor system of launching jets off aircraft carriersSteam

The Controversies

Xray

Solberg

Polymarket

Denmark

Nielsen

Jacobsen

Cross

Rutte

Trump

Go Deeper

Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters

Trump Orders Navy to Swap Hi-Tech Catapults for Steam

Trump ordersOrders the Navy to returnSwap toHi-Tech anCatapults olderfor system of launching jets off aircraft carriersSteam

The Controversies

Xray

Solberg

Polymarket

Denmark

Nielsen

Jacobsen

Cross

Rutte

Trump

Go Deeper

Sign Up for Our Free NewslettersSign Up for Our Free Newsletters

Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters