President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. Navy to revert to steam-powered catapult systems on new aircraft carriers, walking back a transition to the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, known as EALS or EMALS, that had been years in the making. The directive marks a significant reversal in naval procurement policy.

The electromagnetic launch system was introduced on the USS Gerald R. Ford and subsequent Ford-class carriers as a modernization effort, designed to launch aircraft more efficiently and with less mechanical wear. Critics, including Trump, have long argued the technology is overly complex, unreliable, and expensive to maintain compared to the proven steam-powered systems used on Nimitz-class carriers for decades.

The order has prompted a response from lawmakers, including Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, a former Navy combat pilot and astronaut, who questioned the strategic and technical rationale for the reversal. Defense analysts note that returning to steam catapults on carriers already designed around electromagnetic systems would require substantial redesign and could introduce new costs and delays.

The Navy has not issued a detailed public statement on a timeline or cost estimate for implementing the change. The decision is expected to affect future Ford-class vessels currently in planning or early construction phases. Congressional oversight committees are likely to scrutinize the budgetary implications in coming months.