In a significant move to overhaul American naval power, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced the creation of a new class of battleships that will bear his name. The "Trump-class" warship initiative was unveiled at the president's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, on December 22, 2025.
A Return to Battleship Era
The announcement marks a historic shift in U.S. naval strategy, as the country has not constructed a battleship since the 1940s. For decades, the Navy has focused on aircraft carriers, destroyers, and vessels equipped with long-range missiles. President Trump stated the new program would begin with two battleships, with an ambitious goal of building as many as 25.
"Some of them have gotten old and tired and obsolete, and we’re going to go the exact opposite direction," Trump declared. He emphasized his personal involvement in the design, noting, "The U.S. navy will lead the design of these ships alongside me because I’m a very aesthetic person."
The 'Golden Fleet' and Strategic Competition
This new class is a cornerstone of Trump's broader "Golden Fleet" initiative, aimed at revitalizing the struggling U.S. shipbuilding industry and addressing critical shortfalls in the surface combatant fleet. The push is framed as a direct response to strategic competition, particularly with China.
The disparity is stark: according to a recent Center for Strategic and International Studies assessment, roughly 53 per cent of global shipbuilding occurs in China, while the United States accounts for a mere 0.1 per cent. The Navy has stated its current fleet is only one-third the size it needs to be.
At the Mar-a-Lago reveal, a poster displayed an artist's rendering of the lead ship, tentatively dubbed the USS Defiant. The sleek warship was depicted cutting through choppy waters, with a laser beam firing from its deck. Notably, the poster also featured an image of Trump in a defiant pose, reminiscent of the one he struck after surviving an assassination attempt in 2024.
Challenges and Past Precedents
While the vision is grand, the path to production may be long and fraught with challenges. The announcement comes just days after the Navy revealed it is pursuing a new frigate, the FF(X), to be built by Newport News-based HII. This new frigate program follows a troubled precedent from Trump's previous term.
An earlier attempt to build a new class of frigate resulted in significant delays and cost overruns, forcing a drastic reduction in the number of planned vessels from 20. This history underscores the potential hurdles for the ambitious battleship project.
Navy Secretary John Phelan, speaking at the event, expressed strong support for the president's plan. "What I’ve learned is that not only is the President’s idea a good one, it’s something that Navy desperately needs and now has a formal requirement for," Phelan said. He promised the future USS Defiant would be "the largest, deadliest and most versatile and best looking warship anywhere on the world’s oceans."
The "Trump-class" battleship is not the first military asset to carry the president's name. Trump has also linked himself to the F-47 stealth aircraft, a nod to his status as the 47th president. This move continues a pattern of attaching his name to significant projects, including the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts and the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace.
