‘Most powerful ships:’ Trump unveils plan for Golden Fleet battleships amid shipbuilding push

US President Donald Trump said his administration is embarking on the construction of two battleships which he claims will be the largest and most powerful ships in human history.

Trump, flanked by secretary of war Pete Hegseth, secretary of state Marco Rubio and secretary of the navy John C. Phelan, said construction of the two vessels would start “almost immediately.”

Trump noted that the navy will lead the project but he will be involved in consulting on this project, saying that he’s “a very aesthetic” person. He also touted the technical aspects of the vessels.

“As Commander-in-Chief, it’s my great honor to announce that I’ve approved a plan for the Navy to begin the construction of two brand new, very large battleships… 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 Mar-a-Lago last week.

While the plan begins with two ships, the administration intends to expand rapidly to a fleet of 10, with an ultimate goal of 20 to 25 battleships.

The new battleships, which will anchor the “Golden Fleet,” will be 30,000 to 40,000 tons, and the military is expected to have between 20 and 25 as part of the effort to bolster the U.S. Navy.

The president emphasized that these ships will be built in American navy yards, creating thousands of jobs and reviving the domestic shipbuilding industry.

The ships, according to Trump, will feature state-of-the-art electric rail guns, missiles, hypersonic weapons and high-powered lasers that can ‘wipe out’ targets.

The president framed his battleships as the “largest” to ever be built.

“They’ll be the fastest, the biggest and by far, 100 times more powerful,” Trump said during his remarks.

“The U.S. Navy will lead the design of these ships, along with me because I’m a very aesthetic person,” he continued.

The president said he would meet next week with industry leaders to work on production schedules.

Trump trumpeted the ships as being built with “all steel” as opposed to aluminum. The plan is to begin, according to reports, the immediate construction of the first two vessels. He also said the timeline of building the ships would be about two and a half years.

“We are going to have tremendous workforce availability and robots to help us,” the president noted.

When asked if the new class of ships is developed to counter China, Trump said they are intended to counter “everybody.”

“The Trump Class Battleships, manufactured in the USA, will be the fastest, biggest and most lethal ships ever constructed,” the White House said in its notice.

There was no word on what the battleships will cost.

“The President has been clear – we must bring back our American maritime industrial might, and he has told me many times that as Secretary of the Navy it is my job to equip our sailors to win the fight at sea with the finest ships in our history,” stated John C. Phelan, secretary of the navy. “Now when a conflict arises, you’re going to ask us two questions: where is the carrier, and where is the battleship.”

According to the US Navy, the future USS Defiant (BBG 1) will be the first Trump-class battleship under the Golden Fleet initiative.

‘Most powerful ships:’ Trump unveils plan for Golden Fleet battleships amid shipbuilding push

Image: Screenshot / US Navy

“At triple the size of an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, its massive frame provides superior firepower, larger missile magazines, and the capability to launch conventional prompt strike hypersonic missiles and the surface launch cruise missile-nuclear,” the navy said in its notice.

In addition, the navy revealed that the battleship will be acquired using a Navy-led, industry-collaborative design team approach to accelerate design and construction and supported by over 1,000 suppliers in “nearly every state in America.”