US Navy awards EMALS contracts despite Trump

The US Navy is continuing its investment in electromagnetic aircraft launch systems for its newest carriers. This move comes despite a recent order from President Donald Trump to revert to older steam catapult technology.

Contracts were awarded this week to support the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS. Kato Engineering received a $49.3 million contract to support the system's energy storage subsystem. The Navy also issued a sources sought notice for vendors to supply components like EMALS recirculation pumps.

Navy defends EMALS advantages

The Navy maintains that electromagnetic catapults offer significant advantages. Officials state EMALS provides smoother acceleration for aircraft and can be adjusted to launch various types of planes, including drones. The system can also be reset for faster launch sequences and requires less maintenance and personnel than steam systems. China is reportedly equipping its new Fujian-class carriers with similar electromagnetic catapult technology.

Presidential order for steam systems

President Trump revived the debate over launch systems in August. He ordered the Navy to replace EMALS with steam catapults on the USS Doris Miller, the next Ford-class carrier under construction. In a memo, Trump pointed to "a series of shipbuilding setbacks stemming from overly complex designs and iterative design change procedures, which have resulted in cost growth, delays, and cancellations."

The president's directive suggested mandating that the Navy submit a plan on the required measures to replace the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and Advanced Weapons Elevators with steam and hydraulic systems for the construction of CVN-81 [USS Doris Miller], including timelines and resourcing requirements.

Experts question feasibility of switch

Naval experts were reportedly baffled by the White House's order. The Navy has not ordered a steam catapult in two decades. The last order was for the USS George H. W. Bush, commissioned in 2009 as the final Nimitz-class carrier. Critics of the order said finding a manufacturer for steam catapults and redesigning Ford-class carriers to accept them would likely require sweeping manufacturing overhauls at considerable expense.

Despite their planned phasing out, steam catapults are a proven technology. They were developed by Britain in the 1950s to replace the hydraulic catapults of World War II-era carriers and were later copied by the United States. A 1954 article in the U.S. Naval Institute magazine Proceedings noted, "The decision was made in April 1952 that the steam catapult would probably be the most satisfactory type for a service catapult."

Manufactured for 21st century carriers, EMALS is designed to expand the operational capability of Ford-class carriers. The system is intended to provide the Navy with the capability for launching all current and future carrier air wing platforms, from lightweight unmanned aircraft to heavy strike fighters. The rapid evolution of unmanned aircraft, which may soon become the backbone of carrier air wings, will likely require a more sophisticated launch system. The recent contracts suggest the US Navy is planning for that future.