DONALD Trump has announced plans for a new class of US Navy “battleships” bearing his name.
The US president promised vessels equipped with advanced weapons, including lasers, that he said would be “100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built.”
Speaking as part of what the White House is branding the “Golden Fleet,” Trump said on Monday the Navy would begin by building two Trump-class battleships, with an eventual goal of 20 to 25 ships.
He said: “They’ll be the fastest, the biggest, and by far 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built.”
Trump explained the ships would mark a dramatic upgrade to US seapower, stressing speed, size and new technologies.
He added artificial intelligence would be a “big factor” in the design of the vessels.
The Navy secretary, John Phelan, said the Trump-class battleships would be equipped with the “nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile”.
“This is just one piece of the president’s golden fleet that we’re going to build,” Phelan said.
Concept art released alongside the announcement depicts a large surface combatant resembling a cruiser, armed with missile launchers and at least one laser weapon.
A helicopter is shown operating overhead, and the ship features prominent Trump branding.
Trump said he wants construction to move quickly and showed frustration with the defense industry’s pace.
He revealed he would meet with defence contractors next week in Florida to accelerate production timelines.
“They don’t produce them fast enough,” Trump said.
Don added he is prepared to penalise companies that “aren’t doing a good job.”
The announcement continues Trump’s long-running focus on naval power and shipbuilding.
He has frequently criticised the appearance and condition of existing Navy ships and has pushed to revamp the fleet since returning to office.
Administration officials say Trump personally approved the Golden Fleet concept earlier this month.
The move breaks with Navy tradition by naming a class of ships after a sitting president, though aides have pointed to the Air Force’s F-47 designation as a precedent.
The plan is likely to stir debate inside and outside the Pentagon.
The US shipbuilding industry has struggled with delays and cost overruns on major programs, including nuclear submarines, and analysts have warned the sector is operating under heavy strain.
Critics have also questioned whether large, expensive surface combatants are the best use of resources as the Navy seeks to counter China’s rapidly expanding fleet.
Still, Trump framed the announcement as essential to restoring American maritime dominance and projecting power abroad, calling the new battleships the future centrepiece of the US Navy.
Don made the announcement at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, appearing alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Navy Secretary John Phelan, with concept images of the proposed ships displayed nearby.
He described the vessels as “some of the most lethal surface warfare ships” and said they would be “the largest battleship in the history of our country,” adding that the two initial ships could be followed by a far larger build-out.
Asked whether the new warships were intended as a counter to China, Trump declined to single out Beijing.
“It’s a counter to everybody, it’s not China. We get along great with China,” he said.
Trump said the Trump-class ships would displace between 30,000 and 40,000 tons and be armed with missiles, guns and weapons still under development, including lasers and hypersonic missiles.
He said the ships would be capable of carrying atomic weapons through the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile.
The vessels would be significantly larger than current US destroyers and cruisers, though smaller than the Iowa-class battleships that were retired in the 1990s.
Trump also said he plans to be personally involved in the ships’ design.
“I’m a very aesthetic person,” he said, repeating past complaints about the appearance of existing Navy vessels.
The announcement follows recent Navy plans for a new class of frigates known as the FF(X), intended to complement larger warships.
Navy officials have said the frigates will be based on an existing Coast Guard design, with the first expected to enter the water by 2028.
The push comes as US officials warn that Washington has fallen behind China in overall fleet size, fueling concerns in Congress about Beijing’s rapid shipbuilding pace.
“We’re going to restore America as a major shipbuilding power,” Trump said.
“We’re going to ensure the USA has the most powerful fleet anywhere in the world, and long into the future, with battleships helping lead the way.”
