President Donald Trump announced bold plans to construct a new class of heavily armed warships named after himself—an honor typically reserved for former U.S. presidents. The announcement was made at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where top Pentagon and Navy officials joined him to showcase images and details of these advanced vessels.
Initially, two “Trump-class” ships will be built, though Trump suggested that the fleet could grow significantly in the future. He described these ships as “some of the most lethal surface warfare vessels ever created” and referred to them as “the largest battleships in the history of our nation.”
These new ships are projected to weigh between 30,000 and 40,000 tons and will be equipped with an array of powerful weapons. This arsenal will include conventional missiles and guns, along with next-generation technology currently under development, such as lasers and hypersonic missiles. Trump also highlighted that the ships will be capable of carrying nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missiles, enhancing their strategic deterrence.
While these Trump-class ships will be larger than current U.S. destroyers and cruisers, they will still be somewhat smaller than the historic Iowa-class battleships, which were decommissioned in the 1990s.
Trump’s announcement comes shortly after the Navy revealed plans for a new class of frigates known as FF(X), designed to complement the fleet’s larger warships. The Navy aims to launch the first of these frigates by 2028, basing them on proven designs used by the U.S. Coast Guard. However, some frigate programs, including the Constellation class, are currently under evaluation or facing possible cancellation.
These developments come amid growing concerns about China’s rapid naval expansion. A report to Congress earlier this year raised alarms that the U.S. is lagging behind Beijing in terms of shipbuilding speed and capacity.
“We will restore America as a dominant force in shipbuilding,” Trump declared. “We will ensure that the United States has the most powerful fleet in the world, now and for decades to come, with battleships leading the charge.”
The Trump-class warships represent a significant effort to reinforce U.S. naval supremacy with state-of-the-art technology and firepower, signaling a renewed commitment to strengthening military shipbuilding and maintaining global maritime dominance.
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