Department of War Announces New Class of Battleship

This Department of War press release reports that yesterday, President Trump announced the Navy will develop a new class of battleships—the Trump-class—marking a significant shift in U.S. naval force posture. These 30,000 to 40,000-ton surface combatants will be the largest warships ever built by the United States, with the first vessel, USS Defiant, targeted for construction in the early 2030s. The Navy plans to eventually field a fleet of 20 to 25 of these ships, equipped with advanced weaponry, including hypersonic missiles, electromagnetic rail guns, and high-powered lasers.

The new battleship program replaces the previously planned DDG(X) destroyer class and represents what administration officials are calling a “golden fleet” initiative. Navy Secretary John Phelan compared the Trump-class to the Iowa-class battleships that served as the backbone of 20th-century naval power, emphasizing their offensive firepower capabilities. The ships will be entirely constructed in the United States, creating thousands of jobs according to the president. This announcement follows the Navy’s recent unveiling of the FF(X) frigate program, which replaced the cancelled Constellation-class frigate, signaling a broader reconfiguration of America’s surface warfare fleet architecture.