Trump orders the Navy to return to an older system of launching jets off aircraft carriers
President Trump ordered the Navy to replace electromagnetic catapults on aircraft carriers with older steam-powered systems. The change would cost significant money and require more sailors to operate, though the older system has been used for many years.
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National story. 83 articles from 39 sources. 38 are on the bar; 1 is an international, entertainment or tech outlet, listed separately. Updated Aug 14, 2026.
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5 sourcesTrump's been railing against the electromagnetic catapults on the Navy's newest carriers for years. Now, he's pushing a return to steam.
Trump Orders Navy to Spend Billions of Dollars Undoing Years of Work
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25 sourcesTrump to Navy: scrap General Atomics electric catapults and return to steam
Trump directs Navy to return to steam catapults on aircraft carriers
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8 sourcesTrump directs Navy to return to steam catapults on aircraft carriers…
Trump orders Navy to ditch electromagnetic catapults in future carriers, return to steam power
Trump orders US aircraft carriers to go back to steam catapults
Trump orders Navy to return to older system of launching jets off aircraft carriers
Other outlets
International, entertainment and tech outlets, by their rating. Not counted in the bar above. How we count coverage
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1 articleTrump orders Pentagon to redesign US aircraft carrier to use steam catapults to launch jets
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0 articlesNone
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0 articlesNone
The story so far
2 developments- Aug 13Trump orders the Navy to return to an older system of launching jets off aircraft carriers
- Aug 14Trump orders Navy to ditch electromagnetic catapults in future carriers, return to steam power
Who covered each development
No new developments
Quiet for 64 daysLast development · Aug 14 — Trump orders Navy to ditch electromagnetic catapults in future carriers, return to steam power
The bigger story
This story is one of several related ones. Here's where it sits.