President Donald Trump has announced a radical expansion of the US Navy, unveiling plans for a new class of heavily armed “battleships” bearing his name and featuring futuristic weaponry designed to ensure “peace through strength.”
Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday (22 December), President Donald Trump approved a plan for building a new generation of warships called the “Trump-class.” The initiative, described as the centerpiece of a broader “Golden Fleet” modernization drive, marks the first time the US has commissioned a battleship class since World War II. The first vessel is to be named the USS Defiant.
The Trump-class ships are being pitched as “guided-missile battleships” that combine massive size with cutting-edge technology. According to White House and Navy briefings:
- Scale: The vessels will displace between 30,000 and 40,000 tonnes, making them more than double the size of current Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
- Weaponry: The fleet will be equipped with hypersonic missiles, electric rail guns, high-powered lasers, and nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missiles.
- Fleet Size: Construction will start with two ships, with an ultimate goal of building 20 to 25 vessels.
- Design: The President said he’d personally oversee the aesthetic design of the ships, stressing they must look “beautiful” while inspiring fear in adversaries.
The announcement comes as the administration tries to revive the American shipbuilding industry, with Navy Secretary John Phelan noting that ship components will be manufactured across all 50 US states to boost the domestic economy.
“These cutting-edge vessels will be some of the most lethal surface warfare ships… Each one will be the largest battleship in the history of the world,” Trump told reporters. “We are going into a Golden Fleet; we are building for the United States Navy.”
Navy Secretary John Phelan added: “Our adversaries will know, when the Trump-class USS Defiant appears on the horizon, American victory at sea is inevitable. This ship isn’t just to swat the arrows. It is going to reach out and kill the archers.”
The move breaks long-standing Navy naming traditions, which typically name battleships after states and aircraft carriers after presidents. By reviving the “battleship” designation, a vessel type largely retired in the 1990s, the administration is signaling a return to heavy surface combatants as a counter to the naval buildup of rivals like China.
But experts have raised questions about whether this is actually feasible and how much it’ll cost. While Trump claimed the ships could be operational in about two-and-a-half years, defense analysts estimate development and construction of such a complex, 35,000-ton platform could take six years or more, with costs potentially hitting $10 billion to $12 billion per ship.
The administration plans to ask Congress for formal funding for the “Golden Fleet” next year. Trump is also scheduled to meet with senior executives from major defense firms next week to push for faster production and lower costs, warning he’ll scrutinize executive pay and share buybacks if output targets aren’t met.
Also Read / ‘Checks are on the way’: Trump announces $1,776 ‘Warrior Dividend’ for U.S. troops.
Leave a comment