Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Giannis Angelakis/AP Photos
The U.S. Navy is looking at a major — and costly — redesign of its incoming aircraft carriers to match President Donald Trump’s preferred look for the massive vessels, according to a report.
Trump likes a World War II-era look for the warships, The Washington Post reported Saturday.
If enacted, the multi-story tower which houses the aircraft carrier’s command center, also known as the “island,” would be pushed forward to the ship’s middle — just as they were during World War II.
But a redesign would mean shelling out big bucks, to the tune of billions, sources told the newspaper.
The Navy has three new aircraft carriers in its “Gerald Ford” class of ships either in development or nearly ready to join the fleet, with plans for another 10 such vessels, at a possible $22 billion each over the coming 40 years, The Post reported.
The USS John F. Kennedy is closest to joining the Navy’s fleet, while the USS Enterprise and USS Doris Miller are being built.
It’s not the first time the Navy has considered changing the look of its ships to appease Trump’s preference, the outlet reported.
The same issue emerged during Trump’s first term, sources told The Post.
“It came back that the cost and time to do so would just be extraordinary,” one former official told the paper.
One expert told The Post the change is possible — but not easy.
“You could change it but it’s very disruptive,” said Bryan Clark, of the Washington D.C. think tank the Hudson Institute.
The post Trump Prefers a World War II Look for U.S. Navy — Which Is Considering an Expensive Ship Redesign: Report first appeared on Mediaite.
