Demands Navy use 'goddamn steam' catapults instead of electromagnetic launchers

In an interview with Time magazine, Trump criticized the Navy's new electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) on the USS Gerald Ford, demanding they 'go back to goddamn steam' catapults. He claimed 'the digital costs hundreds of millions of dollars more money, and it's no good.' The $13 billion carrier had been under development for over a decade, and EMALS offered significant advantages: lighter weight, more energy efficiency, and 30% more power per launch. Navy officials scrambled after Trump's comments, as reverting to steam would require designing an entirely new system—the Mk 13 steam catapults were no longer in production. Trump's comments demonstrated his pattern of confidently opining on complex technology he didn't understand, imposing personal prejudices on military procurement.

"I said you don't use steam anymore for catapult? No sir. I said, 'Ah, how is it working?' 'Sir, not good.'" — Time magazine interview, May 11, 2017