President Donald Trump has unveiled plans for a dramatic expansion of the United States Navy, announcing a new fleet of heavily armed warships dubbed the “Golden Fleet,” with the headline attraction being a new series of Trump-class battleships named after himself. The announcement signals an aggressive push to revive US shipbuilding and close the growing naval gap between the United States and China.
Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago golf club in Florida, Trump said he has approved the construction of two Trump-class battleships to start, with a long-term goal of building up to 25 vessels. The first ship, expected to be called USS Defiant, is projected to begin construction soon and could become operational within two and a half years, according to the president.
Trump described the proposed battleships in typical bold fashion, claiming they would be “the fastest, the biggest, and by far, 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built.” He added that the vessels would serve as flagships of the US Navy, equipped with hypersonic and other “extremely lethal” weapons, placing them at the center of America’s future maritime power.
The announcement forms part of a broader naval expansion strategy that includes both manned and unmanned vessels, ranging from large missile-armed warships to smaller combat and support ships. Trump was joined during the announcement by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, underscoring the administration’s commitment to the plan.
According to Navy Secretary John Phelan, Trump personally requested a “big, beautiful” battleship-style vessel to anchor the new fleet. The Golden Fleet is also expected to include dozens of support and transport ships, reinforcing America’s ability to project power across the world’s oceans.
The move comes amid growing concern within US defense circles that the country is falling behind China in shipbuilding capacity. Officials have warned that China now dominates global ship production, with more than 60 percent of the world’s ship orders this year going to Chinese shipyards, and its navy already recognized as the largest in the world by number of vessels.
Recent US Navy decisions reflect this urgency. On December 19, the Navy announced a new set of ships based on the Legend-class National Security Cutter, originally used by the US Coast Guard. Chief of Naval Operations Daryl Caudle said recent missions from the Red Sea to the Caribbean have exposed a shortage of small surface combatants, stressing the need to rebuild that capability quickly.
The announcement also highlights past setbacks. The Constellation-class frigate, approved during Trump’s first term, was cancelled in 2025 after years of delays and cost overruns, despite nearly $2 billion already spent and only two ships expected to be delivered. That failure has become a cautionary tale as the administration pushes ahead with new, more ambitious naval projects.
Trump has repeatedly said that reviving shipbuilding is both a national security and economic priority. He emphasized that the Trump-class battleships would be built domestically and would create thousands of American jobs, framing the project as a win for industry, workers, and military readiness.
The Golden Fleet announcement also comes at a tense geopolitical moment. US naval and air assets have increased their presence in the Caribbean amid rising tensions with Venezuela. Since September, US forces have carried out strikes on vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking, operations Trump claims have saved thousands of American lives by preventing illegal drugs from entering the country. Critics, however, argue that some of these actions may raise concerns under international law.
Taken together, Trump’s Golden Fleet plan represents a high-stakes gamble: a bid to restore American naval dominance, jump-start domestic shipbuilding, and project strength at a time of intensifying global competition. Whether the Trump-class battleships become symbols of renewed US maritime power or face the same challenges as past programs will depend on execution, funding, and the rapidly changing balance of power at sea.