In an exciting announcement, former President Trump revealed plans for a groundbreaking new addition to the Navy’s fleet—a massive warship he dubs the “USS Defiant.” This ship is set to be part of what Trump envisions as a “Golden Fleet,” a bold statement aimed at modernizing and expanding the Navy’s capabilities.
During a showcase at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump declared this new vessel would outshine its predecessors, boasting speed and power levels that he claims are unmatched. “They’ll be the fastest, the biggest, and by far 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built,” he asserted.
So, what exactly can we expect from the USS Defiant? According to Trump, this ship will be larger than the Iowa-class battleships from World War II and will come armed with futuristic weaponry including hypersonic missiles, nuclear cruise missiles, rail guns, and even high-powered lasers—tech that the Navy is still hashing out in various developmental stages.
Interestingly, this announcement comes on the heels of the Navy scrapping plans for a smaller warship due to cost overruns and delays, shifting instead to a modified Coast Guard cutter design. The Navy has faced significant challenges in bringing other new ships, like the Ford-class aircraft carrier and Columbia-class submarines, online as anticipated.
Challenges also abound in implementing the advanced technology Trump envisions. After years and hundreds of millions of dollars spent, the Navy abandoned its railgun project in 2021. While laser technology has made strides, its actual deployment on ships has been limited to eight destroyers following a lengthy development period. Additionally, the introduction of nuclear cruise missiles might conflict with international non-proliferation agreements.
A U.S. official, wishing to remain unnamed due to the sensitive nature of the plans, shared that design work for this new ship is already underway, with construction slated to kick off in the early 2030s.
Both Trump and Navy Secretary John Phelan likened the new Trump-class ship to December 20th-century battleships, a term that’s historically linked to heavily armored vessels designed for large-scale bombardment. Although these types of ships saw their prime during WWII—where Iowa-class battleships reached about 60,000 tons—they gradually became obsolete with the rise of aircraft carriers and missile warfare. The U.S. did attempt modernization in the 1980s, fitting some Iowa-class ships with cruise missiles, but all were decommissioned by the ’90s.
According to a new website dedicated to the “Golden Fleet,” this latest “guided missile battleship” will be approximately the same size as its Iowa-class forebears but will weigh only around 35,000 tons and crew just 650 to 850 sailors. Notably, its main armament will be missiles rather than traditional naval guns.
Throughout his career, Trump has made no secret of his opinions on the Navy and frequently expressed a desire to preserve older technologies. His past attempts, like pushing for steam-powered catapults on aircraft carriers instead of modern systems, were met with resistance. He’s even texted Secretary Phelan late into the night regarding the appearance of naval vessels, venting frustrations over rusty ships.
During a visit to a shipyard in 2020, Trump took it upon himself to redesign the now-defunct Constellation-class frigate, stating, “That’s a terrible-looking ship, let’s make it beautiful.” He hinted that he would personally take an active role in shaping the USS Defiant as well. “The U.S. Navy will lead the design of these ships along with me, because I’m a very aesthetic person,” he remarked.
In confirming the ship’s design vision, Phelan stated that the USS Defiant will instill “awe and reverence for the American flag whenever it pulls into a foreign port.” As anticipation builds around this ambitious project, we can only wait and see how this grand vision unfolds!
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