← Back to news
August 13, 2026
Trump Orders Pentagon to Redesign Aircraft Carrier with Steam Catapults and Allow Foreign Shipbuilding
- Trump signed a memorandum directing the Pentagon to redesign aircraft carriers, replacing electromagnetic systems with steam catapults.
- The order allows foreign shipbuilders to construct American warships under certain conditions.
- Trump criticized the costs and complexity of modern electric catapults, advocating for the return of traditional systems.
Read the news this way every day.
Concur organizes political reporting into clear stories and shows the sources behind each one.
Free. No ads.
5 Sources
- Trump Orders Navy to Restore Old Technology in Aircraft Carriers, Costing BillionsAug 13, 2026 at 8:34 PM · WSJ
- President Trump has directed the Navy to tear out a complex system for launching jet fighters from its aircraft carriers and instead go back to using steam catapultsAug 13, 2026 at 9:19 PM · WSJ
- Trump directs Navy to return to steam catapults on aircraft carriersAug 14, 2026 at 1:00 AM · The Hill
- Trump orders Pentagon to redesign US aircraft carrier to use steam catapults to launch jetsAug 14, 2026 at 2:03 AM · The Guardian
- Trump imposes new drone tariffs, orders Navy to allow shipbuilding abroadAug 14, 2026 at 2:45 AM · ABC News