Trump Introduces Ambitious 'Golden Fleet' of Battleships Named After Himself

Tue Dec 23 2025 07:21:37 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

President Donald Trump has unveiled plans to commission a series of new Navy battleships, dubbed the 'Trump Class USS Defiant.' The vessels are set to enhance U.S. naval power amid growing concerns about naval competition with China.

In a recent announcement at Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump revealed plans for a new series of Navy battleships named after himself, part of the 'Golden Fleet.' The USS Defiant ships are designed to be heavily armed and operational within two-and-a-half years, as part of an expansion of the U.S. Navy's capabilities in response to rising shipbuilding competition from China. Trump emphasized their capacity to carry hypersonic weapons and create thousands of jobs domestically. The initiative marks a significant shift in U.S. naval strategy and a push to reclaim leadership in maritime strength.

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, Trump stated 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, he said.

Once completed, Trump said the armed vessels would be equipped to carry hypersonic and extremely lethal weapons, serving as flagships of the US Navy. The construction of these vessels aims to create thousands of jobs domestically.

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

Amid rising tensions with Venezuela, the US naval assets have surged to the Caribbean. Trump claimed that thousands of American lives have been saved through recent operations targeting drug traffickers.

US officials have repeatedly stated that the country is lagging behind China in maritime capabilities, a concern reflected in Trump's renewed push for revitalizing the US shipbuilding industry.