Trump Announces Ambitious 'Golden Fleet' Plans Featuring Battleships Named After Himself

Tue Dec 23 2025 06:39:03 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a bold declaration at Mar-a-Lago, President Trump unveils plans for a fleet of battleships named 'Trump Class USS Defiant' as he aims to revitalize the U.S. Navy amid growing global competition.

President Trump has introduced a plan to commission the 'Golden Fleet,' a new series of heavily armed battleships named after himself. The 'Trump Class USS Defiant' ships will feature advanced weaponry and are expected to be operational within two and a half years. This initiative is part of a broader effort to expand and modernize the U.S. Navy, as officials express concerns over American shipbuilding capacity trailing behind China's. Trump aims to create thousands of jobs through domestic construction of these vessels, proclaiming them to be the most powerful battleships ever built.

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 defense 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.

On December 19, another new set of vessels, based on the US Coast Guard's Legend-class National Security Cutter, were announced by the US Navy.

'Recent operations from the Red Sea to the Caribbean make the requirement undeniable - our small surface combatant inventory is a third of what we have,' Chief of Naval Operations Daryl Caudle said in a video statement about the new ships.

A similar vessel, the Constellation-class frigate - which Trump approved during his first term in office - was cancelled in 2024 after repeated delays and cost overruns.

US officials and defense analysts have repeatedly warned that the US is lagging behind China, its main potential maritime rival, in shipbuilding capacity.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has vowed to revive the US shipbuilding industry, stating, 'We used to make so many ships. We're going to make them very fast, very soon. It will have a huge impact.'

The president's announcement also comes as US naval and air assets have surged to the Caribbean amid rising tensions with Venezuela.