Trump wants a makeover for America’s aircraft carriers— critics say his ‘aesthetic whims’ could cost billions

BS BULLETIN

The Navy is studying whether to move the Ford-class carrier’s command “island” forward after Trump complained about the look of the newer ships.
Trump has separately ordered the Navy to develop plans for returning future carriers to steam catapults.
Critics warn redesigning ships already under construction could cost billions and cause delays.

President Donald Trump isn’t merely interested in how many aircraft carriers America builds. He has some thoughts about what they ought to look like — and how they ought to work.

The Navy is conducting an internal review of whether the distinctive command tower, or “island,” on future Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers could be moved forward to more closely resemble older American carriers, according to reporting by The Washington Post and The Hill.

The Post reports the review stems from Trump’s dissatisfaction with the appearance of the Ford-class ships, whose smaller island was deliberately moved farther aft as part of the carrier’s modernized flight-deck design.

A Navy official told The Hill that Trump ordered the service to “implement design changes to our future aircraft carriers” and that officials are developing options.

The Navy itself has long touted the Ford’s island placement as an operational improvement. Official Navy material says the smaller island was moved 140 feet farther aft and three feet outboard to improve aircraft launch and recovery while creating additional flight-deck space.

The Navy’s current aviation playbook similarly describes the Ford’s larger, redesigned flight deck as enabling greater aircraft sortie generation.

Former Navy maritime strategist Hunter Stires blasted the possible change, telling The Hill that warships exist to win battles, not “beauty pageants.”

“The placement of the island on the Ford class was chosen to support the ship’s design purpose of maximizing aircraft sortie generation,” Stires said.

But this isn’t Trump’s only fight with the Ford design.

Last week he issued a national security directive calling for future carriers to return to traditional steam-powered aircraft catapults instead of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, that became one of the signature technologies of the Ford class.

Trump has complained about electromagnetic catapults for years, repeatedly arguing that steam is simpler, more dependable and easier for sailors to repair.

The Navy’s position has been very different. Its own budget documents describe EMALS and the Ford’s other technological changes as advances intended to increase lethality while reducing maintenance, manpower and long-term operating costs.

And the stakes aren’t exactly pocket change.

The Washington Post reports that Navy officials examined moving the island during Trump’s first term and concluded it could cost billions while substantially delaying the carrier program.

Three Ford-class carriers are currently at various stages of development behind the already commissioned USS Gerald R. Ford: the John F. Kennedy, Enterprise and Doris Miller.

So the Navy now has to determine whether Trump’s preferred old-school design can be reconciled with the engineering decisions underlying America’s newest generation of floating air bases.

MY QUICK TAKE:

I have to admit something.

I understand Trump’s instinct here.

There’s something about the old American carriers that screams: DON’T MESS WITH US. They looked like warships. And Trump has never encountered a piece of American hardware he didn’t think could use more power, more gold or a tougher-looking silhouette.

But here’s my rule: If moving that island makes the carrier deadlier, faster, tougher or more reliable — move it. If steam catapults really are more dependable in combat — bring back steam. But if we’re moving several thousand tons of aircraft-carrier architecture because somebody thinks the old ships looked cooler? Gentlemen, put down the blueprints.

The purpose of a $20-billion-plus American aircraft carrier isn’t to look intimidating in a recruitment poster. It’s to make the enemy regret getting out of bed that morning.

Trump is absolutely right to challenge the Pentagon bureaucracy. That bureaucracy has produced enough delayed, over-budget weapons systems to populate its own navy.

Challenge every assumption. Make the admirals explain every billion dollars. But once the engineers and pilots answer, the winning design should be whichever one launches the most American firepower toward the bad guys.

If it happens to look beautiful doing it? Bonus.

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