Trump Orders Navy To Revert To Steam Catapults On Carriers
FlatRigor 5115 sources
The Story
President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. Navy to replace the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) on its newest class of aircraft carriers with older steam catapults. The directive, issued via a presidential memorandum on Thursday, will affect the fourth ship in the Gerald R. Ford class, the Doris Miller, and subsequent vessels. Trump has previously expressed a preference for steam catapults, which were last used on U.S. carriers entering the fleet in 2009. Experts state the electromagnetic system is more reliable and less expensive to maintain. The change is expected to cost billions of dollars. Trump's reasoning for the reversion appears to stem from a distrust of the newer technology, which he described in a 2017 interview as digital and very complicated. He stated at the time, "I said no you're not. You going to goddamned steam." The Navy is directed to remove the EMALS system and install steam-powered catapults.
The Spread
Flat
What they agree on
- President Donald Trump has ordered the Navy to revert to steam catapults on aircraft carriers.
- The order directs the replacement of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) with steam catapults.
- The change will affect the Gerald R. Ford class of aircraft carriers, including the Doris Miller and future ships.
- The reversion to steam catapults is expected to cost billions of dollars.
Where they split
- HuffPost, The Daily Beast, and The Wall Street Journal frame the order as a rejection of modern technology or a "fantasy."
- Just The News, Taiwan News, and The Epoch Times focus on the directive itself without extensive commentary on the technology's merits.
- RealClearDefense and The Hill emphasize the restoration of older technology.
- The Independent and Associated Press provide a more neutral description of the order and its implications.