WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has directed a return to steam catapults on carriers and called for the creation of a fifth public shipyard focused on submarine repair, according to a White House official. The moves are outlined in a National Security Presidential Memorandum signed today, which also establishes a new component repair center aimed at reducing submarine maintenance delays.
Trump directs return to steam catapults on carriers
Specifically, the memo instructs that Ford-class aircraft carriers, including the future USS Doris Miller under construction at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding, incorporate steam-powered catapult systems and hydraulic aircraft elevators similar to those on Nimitz-class carriers. The first-in-class USS Gerald R. Ford currently uses the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, a technology Trump has criticized in the past.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the carrier changes. Trump had signaled last year that he intended to order the Navy to adopt steam catapults and hydraulic elevators on new carriers.
During an appearance aboard the aircraft carrier George Washington in October, he said he would sign an executive order to that effect.
General Atomics, the manufacturer of EMALS, said the decision regarding Doris Miller should be reconsidered. In a statement, the company said that with nearly half of production completed, changing course now would bring significant cost, schedule, and integration risks.
The firm added that the shift could affect carrier readiness and U.S. technological advantages, and comes as strengthening the defense industrial base is a national priority. The company is a key defense contractor listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Bryan Clark, director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Defense Concepts and Technology, noted that Ford-class carriers rely on electricity for many functions, including cooking, heating, water purification, launch and recovery systems. He said restoring steam lines for catapults would require substantial redesign.
Clark also said the Navy has not procured steam catapults in more than two decades, making supplier readiness unlikely without significant investment and time to reestablish production. The Hudson Institute has regularly published studies on naval modernization and industrial base challenges.
The memorandum further directs Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to deliver within 120 days a plan to improve submarine and aircraft carrier readiness using both private industry and an additional public shipyard. The plan for the fifth yard must address drydock capacity to support projected fast-attack submarine growth over the next 20 years, potential locations near the U.S. Pacific Fleet including the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories, options for up to three new drydocks sized for current and future submarine classes, possible public-private financing models, and associated timelines and resource needs.
Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said in June that the administration was pressing for another public shipyard to support an expanding fleet. He said that while private yards will continue to play a role, scaling maintenance capacity through public infrastructure is vital if the nation plans to invest heavily in naval power and attract foreign investment.
Private shipyards also conduct maintenance, but the four existing public shipyards in Virginia, Maine, Washington, and Hawaii typically handle major overhauls and modernization for nuclear-powered carriers and submarines. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said in April that the Navy has been studying a potential fifth public yard, while cautioning that workforce availability and the cost of building new infrastructure are key challenges.
He asked whether the investment would be justified if the service could not staff a new facility. Similar concerns over naval infrastructure and basing have emerged in reporting on Turkish Navy FAC takes shape at Istanbul Shipyard.
The Navy referred questions to the White House.
This is a developing story and may be updated.