As the president seeks to redesign future aircraft carriers to reincorporate steam catapults, the US Navy appears to be proceeding with electromagnetic ones in its contracting.

There has never been a mutiny in the United States Navy, but the service appears ready to defy President Donald Trump’s August memorandum that called for future Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers to replace the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Weapons Elevators (AWEs) with steam and hydraulic systems.

Trump has a harsh view of both the EMALS and AWEs that are installed on the new class of supercarriers, suggesting the systems were unreliable and that despite the benefits, the steam and hydraulic systems worked better. Naval analysts have countered that the EMALS promises improved sortie rates and would be more efficient over the service life of a carrier. The evidence seems to support the latter contention; the US Navy conducted a sortie generation rate test earlier this year, and after those exercises, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle told reporters that the EMALS sortie rate had been 120 to 130 percent that of the Nimitz-class carriers, which use the steam catapult systems.

“We saw numbers in that that were as advertised,” Caudle said—though he acknowledged that the adoption of the new technology had led to delays in the construction of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78). Caudle had said the White House would be provided with a “full and complete picture of what we’re talking about here.”

Trump or No Trump, the Navy Is Moving Ahead with EMALS

It is unclear if any such report was presented to the president, but earlier this month, the US Navy awarded multiple contracts for future EMALS systems aboard upcoming aircraft carriers.

In mid-September, the Navy awarded Minnesota-based manufacturer Kato Engineering Inc. $49.3 million firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract “for programmatic, engineering, logistics, configuration management, diminishing manufacturing sources and material shortages, repairs and overhauls, technical support, logistics product updates, data calls and meeting support, and program planning support for the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System Energy Storage Subsystem in support of in-service Ford-class aircraft carriers,” a Pentagon contract listing confirmed.

The company’s motor generators have been used in the EMALS since its earliest testing, including a “full-size unit for factory acceptance testing back in 2008,” the Defence Blog noted.

However, the nearly $50 million contract isn’t for additional EMALS for any planned supercarriers yet to be laid down.

“This new contract focuses specifically on keeping the fielded system running rather than fixing design flaws, covering ongoing maintenance, technical support, and the tricky problem of sourcing parts for components that may fall out of production over the system’s service life,” the Defence Blog wrote.

The contract could still allow the US Navy to maintain the EMALS on CVN-78, the soon-to-be-commissioned USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), and the now-under-construction USS Enterprise (CVN-80) and USS Doris Miller (CVN-81). Analysts have suggested it would be nearly impossible to remove the EMALS from CVN-80 or CVN-81 without a costly redesign that would delay their construction by years.

The Navy Is Already Thinking About CVN-82 and CVN-83, Too

It could also be several years before work begins in earnest on the next carriers, including CVN-82, the future USS William J. Clinton, and CVN-83, the future USS George W. Bush. It is possible that their designs could be altered to accommodate the older steam-based catapults, but there has already been speculation that the US Navy will drag its proverbial feet until after Trump is out of office before proceeding with the EMALS anyway.

That could explain why this week, the US Navy published a sources sought notice that called for vendors that could supply a recirculation pump for the EMALS.

“These recirculation pumps are source-controlled items used in the lubricating and cooling system of the EMALS Motor Generator. They must meet all form, fit, function, and performance requirements of the existing design and be fully interchangeable with units currently installed on prior Ford-class carriers,” the notice explained.

The notice could be part of efforts to support the existing carriers, but also ensure parts can be supplied for future carriers equipped with the EMALS.

The Problem with Trump’s Request: Steam Catapults Are Out of Date

Even as Trump has argued against EMALS, reverting to steam may be impossible, as the US Navy has not ordered such a platform in 20 years since the construction of the final Nimitz-class supercarrier, the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), which was commissioned in 2009.

“The White House’s order baffled naval experts,” Defense News wrote, adding, “Finding a manufacturer for steam catapults, and then redesigning Ford-class carriers to accept them, would likely require sweeping manufacturing overhauls at considerable expense.”

The UK’s Royal Navy first developed steam catapults in the 1950s to replace the relatively primitive hydraulic systems used on World War II-era flattops. The technology has been seen as proven, but outdated.

The catapults aren’t the only carrier-based issue for the president. Last month, Trump also called for moving the command island on the US Navy’s modern supercarriers forward to more closely resemble the aircraft carriers that were in service in World War II. Such a redesign would also be extremely costly and interfere with the balance of the warships and flight deck operations. 

The US Navy will probably not openly defy the president’s directives, but it seems that the service will do what it can to avoid the costly changes in the years ahead.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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