Story perspectives

Trump Orders USS Doris Miller EMALS Replaced by Steam Catapults

8/14/2026

Center

Trump Orders EMALS Removal

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a memorandum Thursday ordering the Navy to replace the electromagnetic launch system on USS Doris Miller with steam catapults.
The memo also directs creating a fifth shipyard and permits foreign shipbuilding to reduce submarine and carrier repair backlogs.
Pentagon and Navy submit plan to remove EMALS from Doris Miller within 60 days.
General Atomics warned canceling half-completed EMALS work would cause cost and schedule risks.

Left

Trump Halts EMALS

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a memorandum ordering the Navy to replace the electromagnetic launch system on carrier USS Doris Miller with steam catapults.
Sen. Mark Kelly, a naval officer and astronaut, condemned the decision, saying the president should not dictate ship engineering.
Navy and industry leaders warned that replacing the electromagnetic system would cost billions.
The shift would raise sailors, ending the crew cut from a dozen to two.

Blindspot

The memorandum directs the Navy to create a fifth public shipyard, allow limited foreign shipbuilding, and establish a component-repair center to reduce submarine and carrier repair backlogs.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Center-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Left-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

The United States Navy uses the ship-building commissioning process, a term that originated in ship construction to certify readiness. Formal commissioning guidelines entered federal practice with the GSA’s 2005 Building Commissioning Guide and the California Commissioning Collaborative’s 2006 guide, reflecting a broader trend of systematic verification across large projects. The modern practice, now about 40 years old, underpins large-scale government projects.

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Trump Orders EMALS Removal

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a memorandum Thursday ordering the Navy to replace the electromagnetic launch system on USS Doris Miller with steam catapults.
The memo also directs creating a fifth shipyard and permits foreign shipbuilding to reduce submarine and carrier repair backlogs.
Pentagon and Navy submit plan to remove EMALS from Doris Miller within 60 days.
General Atomics warned canceling half-completed EMALS work would cause cost and schedule risks.

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