President Donald Trump on Monday announced plans to build a new class of US Navy battleships, the first such vessels to be commissioned in more than 80 years, and said the ships will be named after him.
The announcement marks a major shift in US naval strategy, as the country has not built a battleship-class vessel since World War II. Trump said construction of the new warships will begin “immediately” and is expected to take approximately two-and-a-half years.
What Are ‘Trump-Class’ Warships?
According to the president, the new vessels will serve as an upgrade to the Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers, each of which currently costs more than $2 billion to build.
While the term “battleship” is often used broadly to describe large warships, it technically refers to a heavily armored naval vessel equipped with large guns and capable of serving as a command ship during major naval combat operations.
The United States has not commissioned a battleship since the USS Missouri in 1944. Historically, US battleships were named after states.
Donald Trump Claims Unmatched Power and Firepower
Speaking at the announcement, Trump said the upcoming ships would far surpass previous naval vessels in strength and capability.
“They will have 100 times the force, the power [of earlier warships], and there’s never been anything like these ships,” Trump said.
“These have been under design consideration for a long time, and it started with me and my first term.”
He said the new fleet will be designated the “Trump-class” and will be capable of targeting both naval and land-based threats.
‘Trump-Class’ Battleships To Be Nuclear-Capable Missiles and ‘Largest Battleships Ever’
Trump said the ships will be armed with nuclear-capable Tomahawk missiles, adding a new element to the country’s nuclear triad.
“These cutting-edge vessels will be some of the most lethal Surface Warfare ships,” he said.
“Each one of these will be the largest battleship in the history of our country, the largest battleship in the history of the world ever built.”
Under Navy tradition, ship classes are typically named after the first vessel constructed. However, Trump said the initial battleship will be named USS Defiant.
The Arleigh Burke-Class Fleet
The US Navy currently operates 74 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, with construction beginning in the late 1980s. These vessels serve multiple roles, including air defense, escorting aircraft carriers, and launching Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The class is named after Admiral Arleigh Burke, a prominent World War II naval commander who survived two Japanese kamikaze attacks during the Battle of Okinawa. Burke later served as chief of naval operations under Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
