Aviation News – Pentagon Directed to Replace EMALS with Steam Systems President Donald Trump signed a national security presidential memorandum on August 13, 2026, directing the Pentagon to strip the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) from the future USS Doris Miller. The directive orders the US Navy to install traditional steam catapults instead, fundamentally reversing a pivotal launch-technology decision made in 2009.

The president has directed the Navy to replace the electromagnetic launch systems on new carriers with older steam catapults, a move that could cost hundreds of millions and revives a legacy technology.

via US news | The Guardian — President has suggested steam catapults every year since 2017, saying digital systems are too ‘complicated’ After nearly a decade of loudly complaining about the fact that modern US aircraft carriers use electromagnetic systems to launch fighter jets instead of steam-powered catapults, Donald Trump has directed the Pentagon to redesign a new aircraft carrier to replace the modern system with the old-fashioned catapults he prefers. Trump signed a national security memorandum on Thursday directing

theconsequences atplay were returning theship backthen to get steamcatapults clogging yardcapacity for atleast2 years and rationing water on highseas flying it in @warship_78 @usnavy @darpa @pacificsubs my speculative analysis on #warship78 from emals issues to dysfunct clogging issues was the steelflexibility in many ways including altered pressures within tubing on shipmovement wasit correct I am Christian KISS BabyAWACS - Raw Independent Sophistication#THINKTANK + #INTEL #HELLHOLE #BLOG Inquiry@BabyAWACS.com FluffyBunnySheepleSecuritySolutions@BabyAWACS.com Helpful? support. donnate. pay.