President Donald Trump is expected to announce plans for a new class of large US Navy surface combatants he has described as “battleships”, according to reports in U.S. media.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the announcement is due on Monday and will form part of what the White House is calling a broader “Golden Fleet” vision for revitalising the US Navy. The proposal would mark a significant departure from current US naval force structure, which has focused on aircraft carriers, destroyers, submarines and increasingly unmanned platforms rather than heavily armed capital ships.
According to U.S. officials cited by the Journal, the planned vessels would be larger than existing destroyers and cruisers, with some reports suggesting displacement in the region of 15,000 to 20,000 tonnes. While the administration has revived the historic “battleship” label, defence analysts quoted in U.S. coverage note that the ships would not resemble the heavily armoured gun platforms of the 20th century, but instead function as large, missile-armed surface combatants.
U.S. media reporting indicates that the ships are expected to feature advanced offensive strike capabilities, potentially including hypersonic weapons, and would be designed to operate alongside smaller surface combatants and unmanned systems. The concept is framed as part of a wider effort to counter China’s growing naval power in the Indo-Pacific.
Trump has long criticised the condition and appearance of the US fleet, previously describing American warships as “terrible-looking” and in need of renewal. During his first term, he repeatedly called for a major expansion and modernisation of naval forces, though many proposals were constrained by cost, shipyard capacity and congressional scrutiny.
Details of funding, timelines and industrial impact were not immediately clear, and U.S. media reports note that any new class of large surface combatant would require congressional approval and long-term budget commitments.
This will be fun, US Kirov incoming with K-VLS II equivalents for hypersonic weapons?
The Zumwalts are already close to 15,000 tons, and they are being modified for hypersonic weapons. Maybe it won’t be too outlandish? Hopefully the “battleship” will be something remotely reasonable. I’ll be watching C-SPAN this afternoon…
This is the man who builds some of the ugliest buildings in the World, so when he calls US ships ‘ugly’ one can only imagine what he might call ‘beautiful’. What’s the equivalent of MAGA face for ships I wonder, lipstick on a pig will be the creative inspiration perhaps…. And how much gold will they employ, this could be a hoot except they will never be built, he will be lucky to complete his term the way things are going. But if one does hit the water we all know what it will be called 😂🥳.
We can only hope that BB-47 (*sigh* yes. That hull designation is technically available even though USS Wisconsin was BB-64) gets killed by congressional scrutiny before the Bonespur Coward tries to force it on the navy.
Dear lord please just be DDGX
DDG-XL? Surely not big enough for our Mr Trump.
I smell CGN.
Money pit project at this point, cant even build SSNs or Carriers on time.
But carriers don’t go boom and you can’t get videos of SSNs doing cool stuff, so they have far less appeal.
Besides, it seems sad to me that nobody is actually operating nuclear-powered surface combatants apart from the Russians, you’d think the Chinese would at least experiment.
Hopefully not nuclear powered. Added expense for little gain even with increased power demand expected in the years to come.
I was figuring it would be close in displacement to a 17,000 ton heavy cruiser, i.e. CAG like the Des Moines Class would have been if they were missile boats.
The Tico class hulls are pretty much max’ed out at 10k tons, so a heavy cruiser would probably have to start from scratch but if form follows function a nod to the past might save the USN a lot of time and money.
Whether they are called heavy cruisers, battleships or dreadnoughts does not really matter as long as they fill the role they are slated for and do it well.
I hope Trump brings back the 8″ MK71 gun from the 1970s. The USN Ticonderoga class cruisers need replacing, so battlecruiser rather than battleship. Helicopters are useful, so perhaps take inspiration from either HMS Tiger & Blake or the Italian Vittorio Veneto. That would let you operate 4 to 6 medium helicopters. Perhaps an ice hardened hull, so Trump could call it the “toughest”.
Oh it will be the biggest, beautifulest battleship ever (not) launched you can be sure of that. Can’t wait for the launch of this Delusion class, this is rapidly becoming like pre-Soviet Russia.
I think you’ve called the class name and design standards perfectly.
If I might elaborate the gold is required for dealing with the Chinese laser systems.
If it is Big & Beautiful enough he can sell them to Vlad and Kim in a Bigger & More Beautiful Deal.
Meanwhile, the British MOD 💤💤🤔
👌😁🤣
Meanwhile. We are building the Dreadnought class.
Meanwhile both of our Frigate classes are steadily rolling off the production line, unlike the American ones.
Who are building actual destroyers in greater quantity?
He asks of the country that is at present in the ‘frigate’ part of its escort build cycle. Wait until the next decade for the ‘destroyer’ section.
That is the one bright spot for the USN. They have commissioned 6 Burke Class destroyers in the past 5 years and it looks like they will commission 4 more in the next 2 years.
The USN can design and see the delivery of excellent ships, likewise for excellent weapons, when they are in an iterative cycle. But they tend to get horrible results when they contract for new weapons/ship designs.
Advanced offensive strike capabilities…15-20,000 tons. Must be MRSS 😂
This is like having theme night in the mess. Last night was 🐸, tonight we have 🍔. The lazy Spanish better have some big naval procurement to announce tomorrow 🥘.
Haters gonna hate, so let the arguments commence gentlemen!
Joking apart: I’d be delighted if it turned out to be The Very Useful Class that could be built to a useful volume.
I fear another period of precious wasted time
Given that the US shipbuilding effort is seriously struggling, this if it comes to pass will put an even bigger strain on us shipbuilding capacity .
I suspect the Navy admirals are humouring Trump in the full knowledge that by the time the design process is complete , Trump will be out of office.
Anyone remember him “ instructing” the US navy to go back to using steam catapults. How did that work out?
Dicktator’s overcompensating for something.
Embarrassing
Will this new class of large US Navy surface combatants be called the Epstein class??
Sorry, don’t get your comment….
That’s ok, you don’t have too
Safe to assume you can’t sweat either?
You have trouble sweating ??
The ‘Trump’ Class perhaps?
That’s what’s being reported
NYT are reporting that the class are expected to be the Trump-class battleships.
US decline has to be the funniest shit known to man.
According to TWZ the initial flight of FF(X) will have a 57mm gun, 2 x 30mm guns, a MK49 rolling airframe missile launcher, but will not include a built-in Vertical Launch System (VLS)