Trump details plans for new US Navy ‘battleships'

DDG 1000s, like the USS Zumwalt shown here, featured large naval guns, but the US Navy opted to buy more traditional guided-missile destroyers instead. (Janes/Michael Fabey)

US President Donald Trump said he has approved a plan for the US Navy (USN) “to begin the construction of two brand-new, very large, the largest we've ever built, battleships” during a press conference on 22 December.

A USN release on 22 December said Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the navy secretary were confirming “their intent to construct” the new ships.

Under US federal law and traditional US Department of Defense acquisition procedures, such an acquisition and its associated funding, development, and construction would have to be approved by US lawmakers, who, by law, are responsible for such budgeting matters.

The new ships are to be part of the “Trump class” of warships – that would include an initial acquisition of 10 ships, but eventually include a fleet range of 20–25 ships, Trump said, with the first two ships being ready within two-and-a-half years. Each ship would displace more than 27,216 tonnes to 36,287 tonnes, and would anchor what Trump calls the new US “Golden Fleet”.

For more information about USN fleet plans, please see Feature: US Navy mulls major concept changes for future force .

The Defiant (BBG 1) will be the first Trump-class battleship, the USN said in its release.

The ship will be “triple the size of an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer,” the USN added.

With the creation of the Trump-class programme, the USN is abandoning its guided-missile destroyer successor programme, the DDG(X), a USN official told Janes on 22 December.