Donald Trump has announced plans for a new class of US Navy warships bearing his name, signaling an unusually direct presidential role in naval design and strategy. The proposed “Trump” class battleships would be bigger, faster and technologically superior to existing vessels, Trump said, with artificial intelligence playing a central role in their development as part of a sweeping vision he called the “Golden Fleet”.
The US president said the US Navy will start building two ships with the long-term goal of acquiring 20 to 25 vessels.
What are Trump Battleships?
President Donald Trump has described the Navy’s new “Golden Fleet” as “100 times more powerful” than existing warships, calling them a revival of the concept of battleships adapted for 21st century warfare.
While Trump battleships were once the centerpiece of naval power, their importance declined sharply after World War II as aircraft carriers and long-range missiles came to dominate naval strategy.
Read also | Trump admin triples bonus for self-deported migrants – pay, more details
According to a newly created website for the Golden Fleet, the planned “guided missile battleship” would be roughly comparable in size to the historic Iowa-class battleship, but significantly lighter – around 35,000 tons compared to around 60,000 tons. Crews would also be much smaller, numbering between 650 and 850 sailors.
Missiles, rather than large-caliber naval guns, would form the core of the ship’s armament.
Why does Trump want to revive the battleship?
Trump argued that the new Trump-class battleships would help reassert the US Navy’s dominance, claiming the overall program would result in “more tonnage and firepower under construction than at any time in history.”
Navy Secretary John Phelan echoed that ambition, describing the vessels as “just one piece of the president’s gold fleet that we’re going to build.” He added that components for the ships will be manufactured in all 50 states.
The first vessel in the class is expected to be christened the USS Defiant.
How central will artificial intelligence be to making Trump battleships?
Donald Trump placed particular emphasis on emerging technologies and said that artificial intelligence will be an integral part of new ships. Artificial intelligence would be a “big factor” in their design and operation, he said, although specific applications were not detailed, according to the New York Times report.
Read also | Trump pulls 30 envoys in ‘America first’ push, critics say weakens US abroad
The US Navy’s recent experience with advanced technology has been mixed. A long-running effort to deploy a railgun aboard ships was abandoned in 2021 after more than 15 years and hundreds of millions of dollars in spending.
Laser systems have made limited progress, with one platform designed to blind or disable drone sensors now installed on eight destroyers after eight years of development.
Can US Navy ships be built quickly?
President Trump has made it clear that speed will be a priority. He said he would meet with defense contractors in Florida next week to push for faster production schedules.
“They’re not producing them fast enough,” Trump said, adding that he was prepared to penalize companies that “don’t do a good job.”
During the ‘Trump Battleships’ announcement, he also said the administration plans to “fix” the Navy headquarters.
Read also | Trump announces major diplomatic shakeup, dismisses nearly 30 diplomats worldwide
The remarks come as the US Navy has faced persistent delays and cost overruns. Just last month, it scrapped plans for a new small warship, opting instead for a modified Coast Guard cutter. Other programs, including the Ford-class aircraft carrier and Columbia-class submarines, also struggled to stay on schedule and on budget.
What about US nuclear weapons and treaties?
Donald Trump said the battleships will carry the “biggest guns” ever mounted on a US warship and will also be equipped with sea-launched cruise missiles.
Read also | Trump gets his wish: Mexico appears to be building its wall — with tariffs
Such capabilities on Trump warships could raise complex legal and diplomatic questions, as the deployment of nuclear cruise missiles on surface ships may run afoul of existing non-proliferation agreements between the United States and Russia.
When will construction of Trump battleships begin?
A U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing plans, told The Associated Press that design work on the Trump-class battleships is already underway and construction is expected to begin in the early 2030s.
