President Trump is worried that the newest class of American supercarriers may have a fatally flawed system for launching aircraft, and has ruminated publicly about why the new electromagnetic catapults have replaced the old-fashioned steam version.

But deep thinkers believe the most tangible symbol of America’s military dominance could face a much bigger problem: U.S. aircraft carriers may soon be rendered obsolete by short-sighted decisions and new long-range weapons.

Recommended Stories

How to fix America’s broken aircraft carrier strategy

The US Navy, swift to punish carrier captains, should be sacking its carrier-obsessed admirals instead

China’s stand-off missiles are an increasing problem for the US military