Trump : declares a battleship drive for the “Golden Fleet.”

Trump : As part of a larger initiative to rebuild US shipbuilding capability, bolster deterrence, and restore what he called “American military supremacy,” US President Donald Trump announced plans to start constructing a new generation of huge battleships.

At a press conference on Monday at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said, “Today, I get the great honor to announce that I have approved a plan for the Navy to begin construction of two — the largest we’ve ever built – battleships.”

Trump said that he has authorized a proposal for the Navy to start building two new battleships right now, referring to them as the cornerstone of a new “Golden Fleet.” He was accompanied by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Navy Secretary John Phelan.

“They will surpass all previous battleships in terms of speed, size, and power by a factor of 100.”

According to Trump, the new ships would be “the most heavily armed vessels built specifically for naval combat” and the biggest battleships ever built, surpassing even the ancient Iowa-class ships.

According to him, the ships would be equipped with cutting-edge missile systems, hypersonic weaponry, cutting-edge lasers and targeting technologies, and the ability to fire nuclear-armed cruise missiles.

He said, “These will be some of the most lethal surface warfare ships,” and that they will serve as the cornerstone of a resurgence of American shipbuilding and maritime strength.

According to the President, the Navy planned to eventually build a fleet of 20 to 25 of these battleships, and building would begin “almost immediately” with an initial schedule of around 2.5 years.

Trump said, “We’re going to start with two and quickly morph into ten.” “And in the end, we anticipate that there will be between 20 and 25 of these.”

Trump presented the program as an economic and military endeavor, promising to rebuild local manufacturing capacity, generate thousands of jobs, and revitalize American shipyards.

Even as the government pushes military contractors to speed up production and spend earnings on facilities rather than CEO pay or stock buybacks, he claimed new vessels will replace 30,000 to 40,000 tons and be built in US yards.

Trump said, “We want the dividends to be used to build production facilities.” “I oppose their repurchasing their shares. I want them to invest the funds in machinery and plants so they can produce these aircraft quickly.

By connecting navy expansion to border security, counter-narcotics initiatives, and global deterrence, Hegseth said the statement signaled a generational change in American military posture.

“This new class… marks a generational commitment to American sea power,” he said, adding that the investments will revive the Department of Defense’s “warrior ethos.”

The prospective “Trump-class” battleship, according to Navy Secretary Phelan, would be “the largest, deadliest, and most versatile warship anywhere on the world’s oceans.” It will be built to command naval forces over great distances and unleash tremendous offensive weaponry.

According to him, the ships would reinstate battleships as fleet flagships with the ability to lead troops “from warships to drones and everything in between.”

According to Rubio, the statement is a part of a larger effort to preserve freedom of passage and strengthen US industry. He referred to the shipbuilding drive as a concrete reminder of American economic might and said, “The US Navy is the single biggest source of peace in the world.”

“It’s a counter to everybody,” Trump said, dismissing claims that the battleships were directed at any particular nation. It’s not China. “Hopefully, we never have to use them,” he remarked, adding that the objective was deterrence via strength.

The declaration coincides with long-standing worries within the US military establishment over aging fleets, declining shipyard capacity, and competition from China’s quickly growing navy.

Since the mid-1990s, the US Navy has relied on aircraft carriers, submarines, and smaller surface combatants rather than building a new battleship.

Although developments in missile and submarine warfare eventually diminished their relevance, battleships were pivotal in World War II and subsequently became emblems of American maritime supremacy.