📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2
Defence
Trump Orders US Navy to Revert to Legacy Jet Launch System
✍️ NDTV Top
🗓 14 Aug 2026, 08:40 AM
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President Trump has directed the U.S. Navy to abandon its current catapult launch system and return to an older method for launching aircraft from carriers. The change is expected to cost billions and will require additional sailors, amid a staffing shortage of 20,000 unfilled positions.
President Donald Trump has issued an order for the U.S. Navy to abandon its modern catapult launch system and revert to an older method of launching jets from aircraft carriers. The decision follows concerns over the high cost and complexity of the current system, which relies on electromagnetic catapults. The Navy estimates that the switch could cost billions of dollars and will necessitate hiring more sailors to operate the older equipment.
The move comes at a time when the Navy is already grappling with a significant personnel shortfall, with about 20,000 positions across the fleet remaining unfilled. Critics argue that the change could delay the deployment of new aircraft carriers and affect readiness. Supporters claim it will reduce operational costs and simplify maintenance.
The Navy has not yet released a detailed implementation plan, but officials say the transition will be phased to minimize disruption to carrier strike group operations. The decision has sparked debate among defense analysts about the long-term implications for U.S. naval aviation.
The move comes at a time when the Navy is already grappling with a significant personnel shortfall, with about 20,000 positions across the fleet remaining unfilled. Critics argue that the change could delay the deployment of new aircraft carriers and affect readiness. Supporters claim it will reduce operational costs and simplify maintenance.
The Navy has not yet released a detailed implementation plan, but officials say the transition will be phased to minimize disruption to carrier strike group operations. The decision has sparked debate among defense analysts about the long-term implications for U.S. naval aviation.