Donald Trump plans “Golden Fleet” to counter China, unveiling missile-armed warships ahead of Asia visit and Xi Jinping talks. Photo: X.
President Donald Trump is reportedly planning a bold overhaul of the US Navy, aiming to create a new armada of warships called the “Golden Fleet” designed to counter the growing threat from China, according to the Wall Street Journal. While overseeing a major renovation of the White House’s historic East Wing, Trump has turned his focus to modernizing America’s naval capabilities, WSJ reported.
Navy officials and senior Trump aides are said to be discussing an ambitious new fleet aimed at deterring potential future threats in the Asia-Pacific region.
The announcement comes ahead of Trump’s anticipated high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking his first visit to Asia since returning to office.
Warships in the proposed Golden Fleet would reportedly be equipped with powerful long-range missiles, reflecting concerns over China’s rapid modernization of its own naval forces.
“This battleship of tomorrow is going to be this thing that carries really long-range missiles,” Bryan Clark, a retired Navy officer and senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, who is involved in the discussions, told the Wall Street Journal.
The Golden Fleet plans follow earlier directives from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who ordered that a ship named after gay rights icon and Navy veteran Harvey Milk be renamed.
The Pentagon and White House are also exploring plans for a new class of heavily armored vessels, weighing between 15,000 and 20,000 tons, potentially armed with hypersonic missiles.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly hinted that an official announcement is forthcoming. “Stay tuned!” she told the Wall Street Journal, highlighting Trump’s efforts to “bolster America’s maritime dominance.”
The president has previously expressed dissatisfaction with the appearance of current U.S. Navy ships. Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper recalled in his memoir advising Trump that “warships are built to fight and win, not win beauty contests.”
At a recent summit in Virginia, where senior military leaders were gathered from around the globe, Trump reiterated his stance. “They say, ‘Oh, it’s stealth.’ I said, ‘That’s not stealth.’ An ugly ship is not necessary in order to say you’re stealth,” he remarked.
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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
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