Former President Donald Trump has announced that the US will commission a new series of heavily armed Navy battleships named after himself, as part of a revamped Golden Fleet. Construction on the Trump-class USS Defiant ship, which will be equipped to carry an array of weapons, is expected to begin soon, with Trump saying the first vessels will be operational in two-and-a-half years. The announcement is part of a larger planned expansion of the US Navy by President Trump in both manned and unmanned vessels, including larger missile-armed warships and smaller vessels. Officials have warned that the US currently lags behind China in both shipbuilding capacity and total output.
Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago golf club in Florida alongside defence secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan on Monday, Trump said he approved the construction of two new battleships to start, with a plan to build up to 25. They'll be the fastest, the biggest, and by far, 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built, he said. Once completed, Trump claimed the armed vessels would be equipped to carry hypersonic and extremely lethal weapons, serving as the flagships of the US Navy. The vessels will be built domestically, creating thousands of jobs.
In a recent interview, the Secretary of the Navy mentioned Trump's request for a big, beautiful battleship, indicating a strong commitment to enhancing naval capacity. As the US faces increasing maritime pressures, including rising tensions with Venezuela, the urgency for expanding naval forces has never been greater. Trump asserts that this project will greatly enhance American naval capabilities, especially as China continues to expand its navy at a rapid pace.
Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago golf club in Florida alongside defence secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan on Monday, Trump said he approved the construction of two new battleships to start, with a plan to build up to 25. They'll be the fastest, the biggest, and by far, 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built, he said. Once completed, Trump claimed the armed vessels would be equipped to carry hypersonic and extremely lethal weapons, serving as the flagships of the US Navy. The vessels will be built domestically, creating thousands of jobs.
In a recent interview, the Secretary of the Navy mentioned Trump's request for a big, beautiful battleship, indicating a strong commitment to enhancing naval capacity. As the US faces increasing maritime pressures, including rising tensions with Venezuela, the urgency for expanding naval forces has never been greater. Trump asserts that this project will greatly enhance American naval capabilities, especially as China continues to expand its navy at a rapid pace.
