On December 22, 2025, President Donald Trump announced a major initiative to revitalize the U.S. Navy during an event at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Navy Secretary John Phelan, Trump introduced the “Golden Fleet”—a broad vision to modernize the naval force with a new class of large warships that he refers to as battleships.
Trump described the new ships as “the fastest, the biggest, and by far 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built.” The first vessel will be named USS Defiant, and officials have called the class “Trump-class” battleships, continuing a pattern of attaching the president’s name to public projects and institutions during his second term.
The president said the warships would feature advanced technologies, including hypersonic missiles, high-powered lasers, railguns, and possibly nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missiles. Navy Secretary Phelan praised the USS Defiant as “the largest, deadliest, and most versatile—and best-looking—warship anywhere on the world’s oceans,” claiming it would command respect in foreign ports.
According to information from administration officials and a new Golden Fleet website, these guided-missile battleships would be similar in length to World War II-era Iowa-class battleships but displace only about 35,000 tons—roughly half the weight—with much smaller crews of 650 to 850 sailors. Plans currently call for an initial two ships, with a longer-term goal of building 20 to 25 vessels. Design work has begun, and construction could start in the early 2030s.
Trump, known for his strong opinions on naval design and appearance, said he would personally help shape the ships because he is “a very aesthetic person.” He has previously criticized modern Navy vessels for their looks or condition and claimed influence over past designs.
The announcement arrives as the Navy faces persistent challenges, including significant delays and cost overruns on recent programs such as Ford-class aircraft carriers and Constellation-class frigates. Several of the advanced weapons Trump highlighted have proven difficult to develop: the Navy abandoned railgun efforts in 2021 after spending hundreds of millions of dollars, laser systems remain limited in scope, and nuclear cruise missiles on surface ships could raise issues with existing arms-control treaties.
The Golden Fleet plan is intended to strengthen U.S. shipbuilding, close the gap with competitors like China, and promote “peace through strength,” according to Trump. He stressed that the ships are not aimed at any specific country but serve as a general deterrent.
By reviving the battleship concept—which largely faded after World War II as aircraft carriers and long-range missiles took center stage—the initiative represents a distinctive direction for U.S. naval strategy in Trump’s second presidency.
