Symbolism Meets Industrial Ambition

President Donald Trump has placed personal branding at the center of a proposed expansion of the United States Navy, announcing a new “Golden Fleet” anchored by Trump-class battleships. Speaking on Monday at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Trump said he had approved construction of two ships initially, with a stated ambition to build as many as 25. The first vessel, the Trump-class USS Defiant, is expected to begin construction soon and enter service in two-and-a-half years, according to the president.

Trump framed the initiative as both a military and industrial reset. The ships, he said, would be built domestically and create “thousands” of jobs, aligning naval procurement with a broader effort to revive U.S. shipbuilding capacity. Flanked by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Navy Secretary John Phelan, Trump unveiled renderings portraying the Trump-class as future flagships.

“Big, Beautiful” Ships

Trump described the planned battleships as “the fastest, the biggest, and by far, 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built.” He said the vessels would be armed with hypersonic and “extremely lethal” weapons, without providing technical specifications. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Phelan said Trump had specifically requested a “big, beautiful” battleship-type vessel as part of a wider fleet that would also include dozens of support and transport ships.

The announcement follows a 19 December Navy decision to introduce new vessels derived from the Coast Guard’s Legend-class National Security Cutter. In a video statement, Chief of Naval Operations Daryl Caudle said recent operations “from the Red Sea to the Caribbean” showed the Navy’s small surface combatant inventory was “a third of what we have,” adding, “We need more capable blue water small combatants to close the gap.”

Capacity Gaps and Cautionary Precedents

U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that American shipyards lag behind China in output and capacity. More than 60% of global shipbuilding orders this year went to Chinese yards, and China’s navy is already the world’s largest. Trump cited this disparity directly, saying in March, “We don’t make them very much, but we’re going to make them very fast, very soon.”

Past programs underscore execution risks. The Constellatio-class frigate, approved during Trump’s first term, was canceled in 2024 after delays and cost overruns. Only two ships were expected for delivery after about $2bn (£1.49bn) had been spent. Separately, Trump noted an October agreement with Finland to acquire 11 Finnish-designed icebreakers, seven to be built in the U.S. with Finnish expertise.

Operational Context and Legal Scrutiny

The naval expansion announcement coincides with increased U.S. naval and air operations in the Caribbean amid tensions with Venezuela. Since September, U.S. strikes on vessels alleged to be carrying drugs have left at least 100 people dead. Trump said on Monday that “thousands of American lives” were saved by stopping lethal drugs, though some experts have criticized the strikes as potentially violating international armed-conflict law.