Trump Orders Navy to Reconsider Steam Catapults for 2034 Carrier

2017. Trump toured the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest carrier, and pressed questions on catapult technology.

Bill Jones—supposedly a 25‑year veteran—claimed that steam catapults were easier to fix, citing hammer and blowtorch over MIT‑grade electronics.

Navy records show no trace of a sailor with that name; the search now hinges on a missing birthdate.

Adm. Daryl Caudle cautioned that a return to steam would force a redesign of the carrier’s launch deck and hydraulic elevators, potentially adding billions to the already‑over‑budgeted CVN‑81.

The memorandum orders a study to be submitted by February 2027; the outcome will determine if Congress must approve a costly overhaul before the 2034 launch, a change that could revive jobs for families hit by the Ford program’s delays.