The USS Doris Miller is still being built. Its keel has not even been laid. Yet President Donald Trump has already ordered the Navy to tear out the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, EMALS, from the ship and replace it with steam catapults from the 1950s.
This is not a small tweak. It is a reversal of a modernization effort that has been in the works for years. The first three Gerald R. Ford-class carriers, the USS Gerald R. Ford, the USS John F. Kennedy, and the USS Enterprise, will keep EMALS. The fourth will not.
The White House released a national security memorandum on August 13, 2026. It directs Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to submit a plan within 60 days. The plan must outline how to install steam catapults and hydraulic weapons elevators on the Doris Miller.
Trump has long said he prefers steam. He told a defense summit in July that the electromagnetic system did not work well. "And by the way, we had to call the ship in twice because the catapults didn't work," he said.
The Navy has spent years fighting this push. Officials have argued that EMALS saves wear on both aircraft and the catapult system itself. It also takes fewer sailors to operate. Steam systems need more crew and are harder to maintain.
The cost is the other big catch. The design change is expected to cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Some reports say billions. The shift could also delay the ship's deployment into the late 2030s.
Sen. Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain, did not hold back. He posted on X that he has launched off the front of aircraft carriers hundreds of times. He has a Master's degree in aeronautical engineering. He is a test pilot. Even he would not suggest to the Navy how to engineer specific systems on its ships.
Then he went further. "He's a marginally failed real estate developer with multiple bankruptcies," Kelly said of Trump. "Donald Trump should stick to what he knows best, ballrooms, bankruptcy, and bullshit."
The quote lands hard. It is blunt. It is also the kind of thing that makes you pause. Kelly is not just any senator. He flew combat missions. He understands the stakes.
The memo does not call for tearing out existing EMALS systems. The Ford, the Kennedy, and the Enterprise will keep theirs. The order applies only to the Doris Miller and future Ford-class carriers.
This is where the disappointment sets in. The Navy has been working toward a more advanced system. EMALS is smoother. It is more precise. It can launch a wider range of aircraft, from heavy fighters to light drones. Steam is older. It is less flexible.
Trump's decision raises a deeper question. Is he qualified to make this call? He has no military service. He has no engineering background. He has a business background, and that business background includes multiple bankruptcies.
Kelly's jab is not just political theater. It points to a real concern. A president can set broad policy. He can direct strategy. But telling the Navy to swap out a complex launch system on a carrier that has not even been built yet is different. It is specific. It is technical. It is the kind of thing that should be left to the experts.
The Navy has not said much publicly. Officials have fought the push for years, according to reports. They have argued that EMALS is better in the long run. They have said it saves money over time. They have said it is more reliable.
Trump's memo also says the Ford-class carrier's electromagnetic weapons elevators should be replaced. These elevators move munitions from the ship's magazines to the flight deck. They are another part of the modernization effort.
The directive does not touch the USS Enterprise, currently being built at HII Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. It is slated for commissioning in 2030. The Doris Miller is the first ship to be affected.
The cost is not just financial. It is also operational. Steam systems take more sailors to operate. They are more difficult to maintain. They are less efficient. They also put more stress on aircraft.
EMALS proponents say it saves wear on both aircraft and the catapult system itself. The Navy has spent years making this case. Trump's order ignores it.
The memo directs the Pentagon and the Navy to present Trump with plans to remove EMALS within two months. The clock is ticking. The Navy must now figure out how to make this work.
This is not just about one ship. It is about the future of the carrier fleet. The Ford-class carriers are meant to be the backbone of the Navy for decades. If the Doris Miller goes back to steam, what about the ships after it?
The answer is not clear. The memo does not say. It only applies to the Doris Miller. But it sets a precedent. It signals that Trump is willing to override the Navy's technical judgment.
Kelly's criticism is not just about cost. It is about competence. He is not the only one asking questions. Defense analysts are also wondering if this is a prudent move.
The Navy has not released a detailed cost estimate. Officials have said the change will be expensive. They have said it will cause delays. They have not said how much or how long.
The uncertainty is the worst part. The Navy must now plan for a system it has argued against. It must train sailors on older technology. It must maintain a mixed fleet of EMALS and steam carriers.
This is not a small thing. It is a big thing. It is the kind of thing that affects the Navy for decades.
Trump's order is a reversal. It is a step back. It is a move that raises more questions than it answers.
The Navy must now figure out how to make it work. The cost will be high. The delays will be real. The operational impact is not yet clear.
Kelly's quote is blunt. It is also honest. It points to a real concern. A president should not be making technical decisions about carrier catapult systems. He should be setting broad policy. He should be leaving the details to the experts.
The memo is clear. The Navy must comply. The plan is due in 60 days. The clock is ticking.
The Doris Miller is still being built. Its keel has not even been laid. Yet the Navy must now plan for a system it has argued against.
This is the catch. The wonder of a new carrier is real. The catch is that it will be older tech. It will be more expensive. It will be less efficient.
The Navy must now figure out how to make it work. The cost will be high. The delays will be real. The operational impact is not yet clear.
Kelly's criticism is not just about cost. It is about competence. He is not the only one asking questions. Defense analysts are also wondering if this is a prudent move.
The Navy has not released a detailed cost estimate. Officials have said the change will be expensive. They have said it will cause delays. They have not said how much or how long.
The uncertainty is the worst part. The Navy must now plan for a system it has argued against. It must train sailors on older technology. It must maintain a mixed fleet of EMALS and steam carriers.
This is not a small thing. It is a big thing. It is the kind of thing that affects the Navy for decades.
Trump's order is a reversal. It is a step back. It is a move that raises more questions than it answers.
The Navy must now figure out how to make it work. The cost will be high. The delays will be real. The operational impact is not yet clear.
Kelly's quote is blunt. It is also honest. It points to a real concern. A president should not be making technical decisions about carrier catapult systems. He should be setting broad policy. He should be leaving the details to the experts.
The memo is clear. The Navy must comply. The plan is due in 60 days. The clock is ticking.
The Doris Miller is still being built. Its keel has not even been laid. Yet the Navy must now plan for a system it has argued against.
This is the catch. The wonder of a new carrier is real. The catch is that it will be older tech. It will be more expensive. It will be less efficient.
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