President Donald Trump announced on December 22, 2025, that he approved plans for two new “very large battleships” as the opening move in what he called the Navy’s “Golden Fleet.” Speaking at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, and flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Navy Secretary John Phelan, Trump said the Navy will begin procurement for two ships immediately, then scale to 10 and ultimately 20 to 25 ships.
He described the vessels as “100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built,” and said they would serve as flagships for a rebuilt surface force.
Trump argued that portions of the fleet are “old and tired and obsolete,” and said the new design would pair heavy naval guns with large missile magazines to reduce per-shot costs in high-end combat.
Renderings behind the lectern showed a “Trump class” concept, including one ship named USS Defiant. The president said the Navy has not built a battleship in decades and that the new class would revive a lost category of surface firepower.
What Trump Announced
The president said each ship would displace more than 30,000 to 40,000 tons and carry “tremendous numbers of missiles.” He listed planned weapons such as hypersonic missiles, high-energy lasers, and electromagnetic railguns.
He also referenced nuclear-capable sea-launched cruise missiles now under development, and he said the ships would field advanced defensive suites for missile and drone threats.
Trump tied the unveiling to a broader push to accelerate defense production. He said he will meet with leading contractors next week to demand faster delivery timelines, greater capital investment in U.S. factories, and limits on stock buybacks and executive compensation. “We make the best equipment in the world, but they do not make it fast enough,” he said, calling for profits to be reinvested into capacity rather than distributions to shareholders.
Administration officials said the White House recently stood up a maritime industrial policy office to elevate shipbuilding to a Cabinet-level priority. Inside the Navy, Phelan has launched a Rapid Capabilities Office to compress development cycles, enforce program accountability, and move promising technologies into production faster than traditional procurement pathways.
Ship Size, Weapons, and Concept
Trump described the new ships as heavily armed platforms that blend missiles with large-caliber naval guns. Advocates have long argued that gun-based fires can deliver effects at a fraction of missile costs when volume and sustained bombardment are needed.
The White House depiction aligns with a capital-surface-combatant concept rather than a return to World War II armor and machinery. Officials say the hull would host integrated power systems to support directed energy, sensors, and future weapons.
Program sketches shown at the event included vertical launch cells for hypersonic and long-range cruise missiles, multiple close-in defenses, and space reserved for railgun or advanced gun systems.
Navy officials did not release detailed specifications, citing ongoing design work. They said early industry engagement will focus on propulsion architecture, power generation, magazine depth, and survivability features consistent with the ship’s intended role as a task group centerpiece.
Production Timeline and Industry Push
Trump said the Navy would start by ordering two ships, with a ramp to 10 as the industrial base expands. He emphasized faster output and fewer redesigns once construction begins. Navy leaders have repeatedly said that shifting requirements and changes after start-of-build have driven delays and added costs on major programs.
The administration plans to pair multi-year block buys with incentives for schedule performance and penalties for missed milestones.
The president also cited World War II production as a benchmark and said he wants to revive a culture of speed. However, he acknowledged that today’s workforce shortages, fragile supplier networks, and aging infrastructure complicate rapid scale-up.
Service leaders and industry executives have said that stabilizing demand signals, expanding dry dock capacity, and training specialized trades are essential to sustained increases in output.
