Trump the 'engineer' wants a costly change to aircraft carriers: 'Move the tower to the middle'

US President Donald Trump is demanding that the command tower on future Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers be moved to the center, to resemble the World War II design. According to a Washington Post report, the Navy is examining feasibility, but a previous study found the change would cost billions and delay construction. Democrats, including Senator Mark Kelly, are attacking the interference.

US President Donald Trump continues his unprecedented interference in the design of the US Navy's future aircraft carriers. According to a Washington Post report, the Navy is examining the feasibility of moving the 'island' – the command tower housing the bridge, radar, and control systems – to the center of the Gerald R. Ford-class carriers, where the tower is currently positioned at the rear. Trump is concerned about the 'visibility' of the design and wants to return to the old design reminiscent of World War II carriers. A former senior administration official said the Navy already examined the change during Trump's first term, and the study found that moving the tower would cost billions of dollars and could significantly delay completion. According to three sources, moving the tower to the rear was for efficiency and safety: it created additional parking space for fighter jets near the electromagnetic launch systems and reduced the risk of air turbulence during landing. Bryan Clark, a former Navy officer and researcher at the Hudson Institute, said the change would require 'extensive redesign' and affect buoyancy and weight. The report comes days after Trump signed an order to remove electromagnetic catapults and return to steam catapults, a change that could cost billions and delay the entry of the 'Doris Miller' into service, scheduled for 2034. Senator Mark Kelly, a former astronaut and Navy captain, attacked Trump: 'Even I wouldn't advise the Navy on how to engineer specific systems. Donald Trump should stick to what he knows – ballrooms, bankruptcies, and bullshit.'