Azernews.Az

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans for a new class of U.S. Navy warships that would bear his name, unveiling what he called a future “Trump class” as part of a broader vision for a “Golden Fleet.”

Speaking on Monday at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump said the proposed vessels would exceed all previous American-built warships in terms of size, speed, and firepower. The programme is expected to begin with two battleships, with a long-term ambition to expand the fleet to as many as 20 to 25 ships.

Trump claimed the new vessels would be vastly more powerful than existing U.S. battleships and would symbolise a revival of American shipbuilding, which he said has weakened over recent decades.

U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan echoed the president’s remarks, arguing that the presence of a Trump class battleship would represent unquestioned U.S. naval dominance. He described the proposed USS Defiant, shown in conceptual images during the announcement, as the largest and most lethal warship ever to operate at sea.

Both Trump and Phelan compared the planned ships to the historic Iowa class battleships, which were built for direct offensive combat using heavy artillery. Phelan said the defining characteristic of the new class would be its offensive capability, including long-range strike power and the ability to command extensive naval formations, including drones and other platforms.

Battleships once formed the backbone of naval warfare, particularly during the Second World War. The U.S. Navy’s Iowa class, among the largest ever built, displaced roughly 60,000 tonnes. Their strategic relevance declined after the war as aircraft carriers and missile systems became dominant. Although modernised in the 1980s, all Iowa class ships were retired from service by the 1990s.