Trump's 'Golden Fleet': New Battleships to Honor His Legacy

Tue Dec 23 2025 16:06:53 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Former President Donald Trump announced the development of a new series of Navy battleships named after himself, promising unprecedented firepower and domestic job creation.

In a recent announcement at Mar-a-Lago, former President Trump unveiled plans for the 'Trump Class' battleships as part of a new 'Golden Fleet.' The ships will be heavily armed and domestically constructed, with a projected operational timeline of two-and-a-half years. Trump emphasized the need to revive U.S. shipbuilding, claiming these vessels will be the most powerful ever created. The announcement highlights a broader strategy to expand U.S. naval capabilities amid concerns about China's maritime advancements.

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 ships, which will be equipped to carry an array of weapons, is expected to begin soon, with Trump saying they 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,' Trump said.

Once completed, Trump said the armed vessels would be equipped to carry hypersonic and 'extremely lethal' weapons, and would be the flagships of the US Navy.

Trump, who spoke while flanked on both sides with posters of renderings of the 'Trump class' ships, said the vessels would be built domestically, and their construction would create 'thousands' of jobs.

In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Phelan said that Trump had specifically asked for a 'big, beautiful' battleship-type vessel as part of the fleet, which will also include dozens of support and transport vessels.

A similar vessel, the Constellatio-class frigate, which Trump approved during his first term in office, was cancelled in 2024 after repeated delays and cost overruns. Only two ships were reportedly expected to be delivered after approximately $2bn was spent on the project.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has vowed to revive the US shipbuilding industry.

His announcement comes as US naval and air assets have surged to the Caribbean amid rising tensions with Venezuela. The actions have drawn criticism from some experts who argue they may violate international laws governing armed conflict.