U.S. president and "naval engineering expert" Donald Trump sank to a new low in stupidity by falsely declaring electromagnetic catapult propulsion for launching planes from aircraft carriers doesn't work, and that he'd rather the U.S. Navy keep using the outmoded steam catapults whose technology dates back to the 1950s.

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From his uninformed statements, it's apparent Trump prefers steam catapults because this simple system is something his simpleton mind can understand, unlike the "digital" (sic) electromagnetic launch system he says "You have to be Albert Einstein to figure it out."

EMALS or the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System Trump bad mouthed is specifically designed to replace the steam catapult system on the navy's new Gerald R. Ford-class, nuclear powered aircraft carriers.

The first of these carriers, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) will be commissioned into the navy this year. Two other ships in this class -- the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) and the USS Enterprise (CVN-80) -- are building or will be built and will deploy EMALS and not steam catapults.

EMALS uses a burst of electromagnetic energy to launch planes more smoothly and efficiently. It also allows carriers to launch heavier and bigger planes, or to launch jets carrying more weapons.

Steam catapults are more problem prone; take up a huge amount of space beneath the launch deck and need time to recharge after each use.

The navy refused to comment on Trump's asinine remarks, especially where Trump pompously declared the electromagnetic system as "no good."

Trump made his vacuous rant during an interview with a leading American magazine. Asked about the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, Trump ranted:

"You know the catapult is quite important. So I said what is this? Sir, this is our digital catapult system.

"He said well, we're going to this because we wanted to keep up with modern [technology]. I said you don't use steam anymore for catapult? No sir. I said, "Ah, how is it working?" "Sir, not good. Not good.

"Doesn't have the power. You know the steam is just brutal. You see that sucker going and steam's going all over the place, there's planes thrown in the air."

"It sounded bad to me. Digital. They have digital. What is digital?

"And it's very complicated. You have to be Albert Einstein to figure it out.

"And I said -- and now they want to buy more aircraft carriers. I said what system are you going to be -- Sir, we're staying with digital.

"I said no you're not. You're going to goddamned steam. The digital costs hundreds of millions of dollars more money and it's no good."

Navy sources said the Mk 13 steam catapult used on Nimitz-class carriers is no longer in production. If the navy elects to return to steam launching, it will have to design a new system, with the Navy incurring an unknown level of additional expense.

Tagsdonald trump, U.S. Navy, Albert Einstein, EMALS, Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)