Trump Mandates Return to Steam Catapults for Future Navy Supercarriers

By Kaif Shaikh · Interesting Engineering · 2026-08-18

Interesting Engineering reports that the U.S. Navy has 60 days to draft a transition plan moving future Ford-class carriers back to traditional steam-powered catapults. This directive halts the integration of electromagnetic launch systems on the USS Doris Miller and subsequent v

Interesting Engineering reports that the U.S. Navy has 60 days to draft a transition plan moving future Ford-class carriers back to traditional steam-powered catapults. This directive halts the integration of electromagnetic launch systems on the USS Doris Miller and subsequent v