Trump orders return to steam catapults and imposes tariffs on drones
Trump ordered the Navy to remove electromagnetic catapults from carriers and signed tariffs on drones and components with staggered implementation dates.
President Donald Trump signed two executive documents that introduce new tariffs on unmanned aerial systems and their parts and order the U.S. Navy to replace advanced electromagnetic launch systems with traditional steam and hydraulic catapults.
The White House said Trump directed Secretary of Defense Pit Hegset to remove the more modern electromagnetic catapult technology from aircraft carriers and return to steam and hydraulic launch and weapons-handling systems, arguing the current solutions are too costly and complex.
New tariffs and shipbuilding changes
One of the directives imposes tariffs on drones and components. The measures are set to take effect 21 days after the documents are signed, while duties on certain, less-sensitive drone parts will begin 180 days later.
The announced tariff structure sets a 100 percent duty for particularly sensitive drones, 25 percent for smaller drones assessed as a lower security risk, and a 15 percent tariff on certain drones and components originating in the European Union, Japan, Liechtenstein, South Korea, Switzerland and the Chinese region Taiwan.
The second directive instructs Secretary Hegset to establish a fifth naval shipyard and allows qualified foreign shipbuilders to construct U.S. military vessels under specified conditions.
Taken together, the measures signal a move toward simpler carrier launch systems and a protectionist approach to certain elements of the drone supply chain, while also expanding domestic shipbuilding capacity with limited foreign participation.
Photo: press material from the event
