Trump announces plans for new US Navy “Golden Fleet” battleships
US President Donald Trump announced plans for the US Navy to begin construction of a new class of large warships, describing them as part of a future “Golden Fleet” and among the most powerful vessels ever built, Qazinform News Agency reports.
Speaking from Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday, Trump said he had approved the construction of two “very large - the largest we’ve ever built” battleships. “There’s never been anything like these ships,” he said, adding that the concept dated back to his first term. “I said, ‘Why aren’t we doing battleships like we used to?”
The new vessels, which are intended to replace Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, are expected to have a displacement of between 30,000 and 40,000 tons. Each ship is estimated to cost about $5 billion and is designed to accommodate advanced systems, including directed-energy lasers and railguns.
Trump denied that the new fleet was aimed specifically at China, saying it would counter “everybody,” while also highlighting what he described as good relations with Beijing. Visual displays at the event showed artistic renderings of the first vessel, referred to as the “Trump-class USS Defiant.”
The president was joined by senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Navy Secretary John Phelan said the administration would “make battleships great again.”
As Qazinform News Agency reported earlier, the announcement comes amid continued US naval operations in the Caribbean and near Venezuela, where Washington maintains pressure on the government of Nicolás Maduro over drug trafficking and sanctions enforcement.