In a striking announcement from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, former and current US President Donald Trump has laid out ambitious plans for a new generation of American warships. He revealed the intention to build a formidable fleet of heavily armed 'Trump-class' battleships, which he has dubbed the 'Golden Fleet'.
The Vision for a 'Golden Fleet'
During the event on December 23, 2025, Trump declared that the new vessels would be the fastest, biggest, and "by far 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built". He stated the fleet would be armed with a futuristic arsenal including hypersonic missiles, nuclear cruise missiles, electromagnetic railguns, and high-powered laser systems.
The first ship of this new class is slated to be named the USS Defiant. Trump claimed that construction would begin soon, with the initial vessels becoming operational in just two-and-a-half years. However, a source speaking to The Associated Press provided a more conservative timeline, indicating that while design work is ongoing, physical construction is not expected to start until the early 2030s.
Specifications and Presidential Input
According to details on a newly launched website for the Golden Fleet, these 'guided missile battleships' will be comparable in size to the iconic World War II-era Iowa-class battleships but will weigh significantly less at approximately 35,000 tonnes. They are designed to operate with smaller crews of between 650 and 850 sailors, relying primarily on missile systems rather than traditional large-calibre naval guns.
Trump emphasised his personal involvement in the project, stating, "The US Navy will lead the design of these ships along with me, because I'm a very aesthetic person." US Navy Secretary John Phelan echoed the grand vision, suggesting the USS Defiant "will inspire awe and reverence for the American flag whenever it pulls into a foreign port".
Ambitious Claims Meet Practical Challenges
This grand announcement arrives just a month after the US Navy cancelled plans for a new class of small warships due to escalating delays and costs, opting instead for a modified Coast Guard cutter design. The Navy's recent history underscores the challenges: major projects like the Ford-class aircraft carriers and Columbia-class submarines have consistently run over budget and behind schedule.
Furthermore, the Navy has struggled to successfully deploy some of the very technologies Trump promises for the new fleet. A 15-year, multi-hundred-million dollar effort to field a working railgun on a ship was finally abandoned in 2021. While laser defence systems have seen some success, their deployment remains limited. Additionally, arming ships with nuclear cruise missiles could potentially violate existing non-proliferation treaties with Russia.
Trump's announcement, therefore, paints a picture of a transformative naval future, but one that will have to navigate a complex sea of financial, technical, and diplomatic realities before becoming a reality.
