The United States Navy is considering a redesign of its upcoming Ford-class aircraft carriers to align with aesthetic preferences expressed by President Trump. According to a Saturday report by the Washington Post, the maritime branch is evaluating changes that would make new vessels resemble those from the World War II era.
The proposed modifications follow a White House national security memorandum released Thursday. The memorandum outlined several directives for Navy shipbuilding, including a requirement to revert certain systems from the new Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) back to traditional steam power. The administration stated these changes are intended to address long-term issues in the shipbuilding industrial base.
One specific redesign under consideration involves moving the multistory command center tower, known as the "island," to the middle of the ship. Sources told The Post that this change would eliminate three existing benefits of the current Ford-class design: additional parking space for aircraft, reduced launch times, and a decrease in air turbulence during landings. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the first ship in this class, took 17 years to complete due to the integration of new technologies like EMALS.
For personnel and operations, the shift could alter daily service life and mission readiness. Reverting to steam power involves technology the Navy last purchased 20 years ago and which is no longer in active production, according to Bryan Clark of the Hudson Institute. Sailors would notice a change in the physical layout and operational flow of the flight deck, potentially experiencing increased landing turbulence and slower launch cycles. These adjustments come during a period of high demand for carrier groups, as seen with the USS Abraham Lincoln’s 260-day deployment in the Middle East amid the ongoing war in Iran.
The knock-on effects include potential worsening of chronic construction delays for the Ford-class fleet. While the administration views the move as a fix for shipbuilding issues, critics like Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have raised separate concerns about current carrier conditions, including supply shortages and water contamination. The transition sets a precedent for executive-driven aesthetic and mechanical design changes in major defense procurement. What happens next depends on the Navy's formal response to the White House memorandum and the subsequent impact on shipyard schedules and congressional funding cycles for the next decade of naval construction.