The U.S. Navy is conducting an internal review of potential changes to the design of its Ford-class aircraft carriers, including whether to relocate key structures on the ship. According to reporting, the review considers moving the carrier’s command tower from the starboard side toward the middle, a configuration that resembles older World War II-era designs.
Multiple outlets say the effort stems from requests tied to President Donald Trump’s expressed preferences. The Hill reports a Navy official characterizes the president’s involvement as a request that the Navy implement design changes for future carriers, and notes the Navy review is expected to be completed in “several weeks.” The New Republic similarly frames the review as being driven by Trump’s aesthetic aims.
At the same time, outlets highlight competing assessments of the operational and cost implications. One view emphasizes that the island placement on the Ford class supports the ship’s mission of maximizing aircraft sortie generation. Another perspective, also reflected in the reporting, questions whether redesign work would divert engineering time and taxpayer funds from operational needs. The articles also reference broader design-related direction, including work on aircraft carrier propulsion systems, as part of the same theme of potential White House influence on naval ship design.
