‘Fastest and most powerful ever’: Donald Trump unveils ‘Trump-class’ battleships, pressures defense contractors on overruns

What Trump announced

Trump said the Navy would begin by building two vessels, with plans to eventually expand the programme to between 20 and 25 ships, Reuters reported.

He said the new ships would be known as “Trump-class” battleships and would form the centrepiece of a broader naval expansion aimed at increasing US sea power.

US Navy Secretary John Phelan said the programme would result in “more tonnage and firepower under construction than at any time in history”, adding that ship components would be built across all US states.

What the ships would include

Phelan said the ships would carry the “biggest guns” ever placed on a US warship and would be capable of deploying nuclear-armed, sea-launched cruise missiles. The first vessel would be named the USS Defiant.

Trump told reporters that the battleships would also include advanced weapons such as hypersonic missiles, rail guns and high-powered lasers, AP reported. Many of these technologies are still under development by the Navy.

In addition to the new battleship class, Trump said the Golden Fleet plan would also increase the number of other warships, including smaller frigates already announced by the Navy.

What a battleship means

The term “battleship” traditionally refers to large, heavily armoured ships armed with large guns, which were most prominent during the Second World War.

The largest US battleships, the Iowa-class, weighed about 60,000 tonnes. Their role declined after the war as aircraft carriers and long-range missiles became central to naval strategy. All four Iowa-class ships were decommissioned by the 1990s.

Questions over cost and delivery

The announcement comes as the US Navy has faced delays and cost overruns in several major shipbuilding projects.

AP reported that the Navy recently cancelled plans for a new small warship and has struggled to deliver other major vessels, including the Ford-class aircraft carrier and Columbia-class submarines, on time and within budget.

Trump’s past involvement in Navy design

Trump has long taken a personal interest in Navy ship design. During his first term, he criticised the appearance of destroyers and complained about rust on ships, according to AP.

Phelan told senators that Trump had frequently contacted him late at night about the condition of Navy vessels.

Trump said on Monday that he would again take a direct role in the design of the new ships.
“The US Navy will lead the design of these ships along with me,” Trump said. “Because I’m a very aesthetic person,” AP reported.