Trump lets Navy build some ships abroad, drops EMALS on carrier
What's new: The order would switch the Doris Miller back to steam catapults, a redesign expected to cost hundreds of millions.
President Donald Trump signed a national security memorandum letting the US Navy temporarily source up to two ships from foreign parent yards tied to major investments in US shipyards and directing a key carrier design change. The order tells the Navy to scrap the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System on the Doris Miller, the fourth Ford-class carrier, and return to steam catapults. The White House said the shift aims to speed shipbuilding and expand repair capacity, including a fifth Navy shipyard. General Atomics, which makes EMALS, warned that changing course with production nearly 50% complete could raise cost, schedule and integration risks. The Navy expects Doris Miller's keel to be laid by the end of 2026, with delivery in early 2034.