Trump seeks return to the age of steam as he shuns magnetic catapults on carriers
Donald Trump has said he is going to sign an executive order banning the use of electromagnetic catapults on US Navy aircraft carriers – preferring to use 1950s-tech steam ones instead.
The US president made the announcement while speaking to the crew of the USS George Washington, a carrier that launches its F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and F-35C Lightning IIs using steam.
He told the audience, who received his message with applause, that the electromagnetic launch system was too expensive to maintain and fix when things went wrong.
During his visit to the Nimitz-class carrier, which is currently docked in Yokosuka in Japan, he said: "I want to know: catapults – which is better, the electric or the steam?
"Okay, ready? Are you guys – that's what you do, right [referring to the George Washington's system]?
"[Steam] this is so much better. You know, they go out and hire a consultant for millions of dollars who was never on an aircraft carrier before. So they switched to electric."
The commander in chief went on: "I'm going to put in an order. Seriously. They're spending billions of dollars to build stupid electric.
"And the problem is, when it breaks, you have to sendit up to MIT [Massachusetts Institute of Technology], get the most brilliant people in the world, fly them out – it's ridiculous.
"The steam – they said they can fix it with a hammer and a blowtorch, and it works just as well, if not better.
"And I love the sight of that beautiful steam pouring off that deck. With the electric, you don't have that.
"So, you know, we did the [USS Gerald R] Ford – the electric – the cost overruns, everything else. But I hope it's going to be okay. I like steam. We're going to go back to steam."
Despite the president's preference for going old school, the modern launch system offers several advantages.
The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) uses less energy and is more maintenance-friendly compared with steam.
An electromagnetic catapult can launch an aircraft more quickly, and subsequent launches can also take place with less of a gap.
In terms of weight, the electromagnetic catapult can take a more varied payload, which means more types of aircraft can take off from the flight deck. This also means fewer adjustments between launches.
Using electromagnetic rather than steam adds to the longevity of a carrier's flight deck and the aircraft being launched, as it puts less stress on both.
However, Mr Trump's reservations are at least partially justified.
The electromagnetic catapult can consume as much as 100 million watts of energy – enough to power a small town for the same period of time.
The president concluded: "They spent $993m on the [electromagnetic] catapults trying to get them to work. And they had steam, which worked so beautifully – and it has for 50 years – right?
"So we're going to go back. Seriously, fellas, I want to make that change. I'm going to do an executive order. I'm not going to let them continue to do this stuff."
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