Trump proposes new 'Battleship' for 'Golden Fleet' amid Navy shipbuilding challenges
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Dec 23, 2025, 21:40 IST
Trump announces plans for new Navy 'battleship' as part of a 'Golden Fleet'
Image credit : AP
In an ambitious push for naval supremacy, President Donald Trump has unveiled his vision for a new type of 'battleship' destined to join the ranks of the US Navy. Dubbed the 'Golden Fleet,' this ship is touted to be the largest, fastest, and exponentially more powerful than any battleship ever built before.
<p>President Donald Trump speaks, with from left, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan,at his Mar-a-Lago club, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)</p>
President Donald Trump announced a plan for the Navy to build a new, large warship he is calling a "battleship" as part of a vision for a "Golden Fleet." Trump stated these ships would be the fastest, biggest, and 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built. This announcement comes as the Navy faces delays and cost overruns on other shipbuilding projects.
Trump described the new warship as longer and larger than the World War II-era Iowa-class battleships. He claimed it would be armed with hypersonic missiles, rail guns, and high-powered lasers. These are all technologies currently under development by the Navy.
Just a month prior to this announcement, the Navy had canceled plans for a new, small warship. This decision was attributed to growing delays and cost overruns. Instead, the Navy opted for a modified version of a Coast Guard cutter. The sea service has also experienced difficulties in delivering other newly designed ships on time and within budget, including the Ford-class aircraft carrier and Columbia-class submarines.
Historically, a battleship is defined as a large, heavily armored vessel equipped with massive guns for bombarding other ships or shore targets. This type of ship was most prominent during World War II. The largest U.S. battleships, the Iowa-class, weighed approximately 60,000 tons.
Following World War II, the role of battleships in modern fleets declined significantly. Aircraft carriers and long-range missiles became more prominent. The U.S. Navy did modernize four Iowa-class battleships in the 1980s. These upgrades included adding cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, and modern radars. However, all four were decommissioned by the 1990s.
President Trump has consistently expressed strong opinions regarding specific aspects of the Navy's fleet. His views have sometimes favored retaining older technology over modernization.
During his first term, he advocated for the return of steam-powered catapults to launch jets from the Navy's newest aircraft carriers. This was in contrast to the more modern electromagnetic system.
He has also voiced complaints about the appearance of Navy destroyers. Trump has decried Navy ships being covered in rust.
Phelan informed senators during his confirmation hearing that Trump had contacted him numerous times late at night. These communications often concerned "rusty ships or ships in a yard, asking me what am I doing about it."
During a visit to a shipyard in 2020, which was working on the now-canceled Constellation-class frigate, Trump stated that he personally altered the ship's design.
“I looked at it, I said, That's a terrible-looking ship, let's make it beautiful,'” Trump said at the time. He also stated on Monday that he would play a direct role in the design of this new warship.
“The US Navy will lead the design of these ships along with me, because I'm a very aesthetic person,” Trump said.
“They'll be the fastest, the biggest, and by far 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built,” Trump claimed during the announcement at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. “I looked at it, I said, That's a terrible-looking ship, let's make it beautiful,'” Trump said at the time.
“The US Navy will lead the design of these ships along with me, because I'm a very aesthetic person,” Trump said.
Trump described the new warship as longer and larger than the World War II-era Iowa-class battleships. He claimed it would be armed with hypersonic missiles, rail guns, and high-powered lasers. These are all technologies currently under development by the Navy.
Just a month prior to this announcement, the Navy had canceled plans for a new, small warship. This decision was attributed to growing delays and cost overruns. Instead, the Navy opted for a modified version of a Coast Guard cutter. The sea service has also experienced difficulties in delivering other newly designed ships on time and within budget, including the Ford-class aircraft carrier and Columbia-class submarines.
Historically, a battleship is defined as a large, heavily armored vessel equipped with massive guns for bombarding other ships or shore targets. This type of ship was most prominent during World War II. The largest U.S. battleships, the Iowa-class, weighed approximately 60,000 tons.
Following World War II, the role of battleships in modern fleets declined significantly. Aircraft carriers and long-range missiles became more prominent. The U.S. Navy did modernize four Iowa-class battleships in the 1980s. These upgrades included adding cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, and modern radars. However, all four were decommissioned by the 1990s.
President Trump has consistently expressed strong opinions regarding specific aspects of the Navy's fleet. His views have sometimes favored retaining older technology over modernization.
During his first term, he advocated for the return of steam-powered catapults to launch jets from the Navy's newest aircraft carriers. This was in contrast to the more modern electromagnetic system.
He has also voiced complaints about the appearance of Navy destroyers. Trump has decried Navy ships being covered in rust.
Phelan informed senators during his confirmation hearing that Trump had contacted him numerous times late at night. These communications often concerned "rusty ships or ships in a yard, asking me what am I doing about it."
During a visit to a shipyard in 2020, which was working on the now-canceled Constellation-class frigate, Trump stated that he personally altered the ship's design.
“I looked at it, I said, That's a terrible-looking ship, let's make it beautiful,'” Trump said at the time. He also stated on Monday that he would play a direct role in the design of this new warship.
“The US Navy will lead the design of these ships along with me, because I'm a very aesthetic person,” Trump said.
“They'll be the fastest, the biggest, and by far 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built,” Trump claimed during the announcement at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. “I looked at it, I said, That's a terrible-looking ship, let's make it beautiful,'” Trump said at the time.
“The US Navy will lead the design of these ships along with me, because I'm a very aesthetic person,” Trump said.