Trump Orders US Aircraft Carriers to Go Back to Steam Catapults

President Donald Trump is ordering the U.S. Navy to remove the advanced system used to launch fighter jets from its newest type of aircraft carriers and return to using older steam catapults that he has long said he prefers

Trump is slapping “ad valorem” tariffs on drones and drone parts, citing the “national security threat” posed by such devices.

The switch could cost billions and needs more sailors to operate, at a time when the Navy already has 20,000 unfilled fleet positions.

President Trump ordered the U.S. Navy on Thursday to remove the electromagnetic catapult system on aircraft carriers to launch fighter planes and revert back to using catapult systems, a move that officials and experts argue would raise costs in the process. The president…

President Donald Trump ordered the Navy to return to using steam catapults to launch planes off of aircraft carriers, acting on a longtime complaint despite opposition from many naval officers.