Trump’s strange obsession with steam-powered catapults

Sailors prepare to assist an F/A-18 Hornet jet for takeoff while steam billows from the catapult aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt in the South China Sea on April 10, 2018. | Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images This story appeared in The Logoff , a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life.

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Welcome to The Logoff: The Trump administration’s meddling with the US military is getting more direct — and potentially more dangerous.

What’s going on? Fresh on the heels of coverage last week about the plight of the USS Abraham Lincoln (now on its way home ), a flurry of recent stories underscores just how much the Trump administration is micromanaging the Pentagon.

Last week, President Donald Trump directed the Defense Department to overhaul the aircraft carrier mechanism for launching jets — by reverting from electromagnetic catapults to old-fashioned steam catapults.

And on Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Army is axing its new drone assault battalion, which was established in January.

The decision to do so comes from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s new acting chief of staff of the Army, who took over the role after Hegseth forced out its previous occupant this spring.

What’s the context? Neither of these moves seem poised to help the military succeed at its core objectives.

As naval expert Bryan Clark pointed out Wednesday in the Washington Post, the catapult switch won’t only limit the next generation of aircraft carriers, but cost an exorbitant amount of money — contrary to Trump’s insistence that steam is “much less expensive” — and delay the rollout of new ships (badly needed, as the Lincoln debacle proves).

Trump may also name one after himself .

If possible, the demise of the drone unit makes even less sense.

Innovative drone designs and tactics are revolutionizing warfare in Ukraine and elsewhere; being ahead of the curve on these changes has allowed Ukraine to hold its own against a numerically superior opponent.

And it’s very clear that the US hasn’t mastered these tactics yet: As the Journal reported last week , Ukrainian drone operators flattened the US in war games held earlier this year.

Why does this matter? To be clear, Trump is the commander in chief.