Trump Unveils New U.S. Navy Battleship Class under Golden Fleet Plan

U.S. President Donald J. Trump today announced plans for the U.S. Navy to design and build a new class of large surface combatants, reviving battleships as a frontline capability and cancelling the service’s planned next-generation destroyer.

Speaking from Mar-a-Lago in Florida, Trump said he had approved construction of two new battleships, describing them as the largest ever built by the United States and the foundation of a future “golden fleet.” He was joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan.

“As commander in chief, it’s my great honor to announce that I have approved a plan for the Navy to begin the construction of two brand-new, very large — largest we’ve ever built — battleships,” Trump said.

The ships, designated the Trump-class, are expected to displace between 30,000 and 40,000 tons and are now in the design phase, according to the Navy. Construction of the lead ship, the USS Defiant, is targeted for the early 2030s. Trump said the Navy ultimately aims to field 20 to 25 ships, with two approved for initial construction and up to ten planned over the longer term.

Phelan said the new class is something the Navy “desperately needs” and directly compared it to the Iowa-class battleships that dominated U.S. naval firepower in the 20th century. “The Iowa was designed to go on the attack with the biggest guns, and that’s exactly what will define the Trump-class battleships,” he said. “This ship isn’t just to swat the arrows; it is going to reach out and kill the archers.”

The Trump-class will carry a mix of conventional guns and missiles, hypersonic weapons, electronic railguns, and high-powered laser systems. Trump confirmed the ships will also be armed with the sea-launched nuclear cruise missile currently under development for the fleet, adding a nuclear mission to surface combatants. Navy renderings show large radar arrays, multiple vertical launch system banks, and space for future weapons growth.

Trump said the battleships will be built entirely in the United States by American workers, arguing the program will create thousands of jobs and require new shipyard capacity. The Navy will lead design work while partnering with the domestic defense industrial base, he said.

The Trump-class will replace the cancelled DDG(X) destroyer program, though the Navy plans to incorporate DDG(X) capabilities into the new ships. The announcement follows the Navy’s Dec. 19 decision to launch the FF(X) frigate program after cancelling the Constellation-class.

The U.S. Navy last employed battleships in combat in 1991, when the Iowa-class USS Missouri and USS Wisconsin conducted naval gunfire missions during the Gulf War. Navy leaders said the Trump-class ships are intended to serve as future fleet flagships and command platforms, coordinating operations involving surface ships, aircraft, and unmanned systems.