Trump Unveils Trump-class Battleships, Promising the Largest Navy Upgrade
Trump Unveils Trump-class Battleships, Promising the Largest Navy Upgrade
The president reveals plans for two initial Trump-class battleships, potentially up to 25 ships, built domestically with hypersonic and laser tech, signaling a major naval upgrade.
At Mar-a-Lago, the president announced plans to launch a new line of heavily armed warships named after himself—the Trump-class. He said two ships would start the program, with room to grow to as many as 25, aiming to restore America's edge in naval power and create thousands of domestic jobs.
The ships are slated to weigh between 30,000 and 40,000 tons, placing them well ahead of existing destroyers and cruisers and even surpassing many World War II battleships in size. Trump described them as the fastest, biggest, and 100 times more powerful than any battleship in history. He said they would carry missiles, guns, and weapons in development, including lasers and hypersonic missiles, and could even be equipped with nuclear-armed sea-launched missiles.
Construction would be domestic, with Trump involved in the design process alongside senior defense officials, and images of renderings displayed at his Mar-a-Lago club. He framed the move as a broad counterweight to formidable rivals and insisted the plan would be a centerpiece of a revived U.S. shipbuilding program.
Analysts caution that such a project would require massive funding and face technical, logistical, and political hurdles. Critics may question timing, cost, and the implications of naming ships after a living president, while supporters argue the plan signals resolve amid growing competition with Beijing and others.
Regardless of immediate prospects, the proposal marks a bold, headline-grabbing shift in U.S. naval ambitions and sets the stage for a broader debate about military modernization and its costs.
