President Donald Trump unveiled plans for a new class of U.S. Navy battleships, calling them the “Golden Fleet” and promising they will be the most powerful warships ever built.
Trump Announces ‘Golden Fleet’ With Hypersonic Weapons
On Monday, Trump announced his approval of the construction of two initial ships, which will be equipped with guns, missiles, hypersonic weapons, and high-powered lasers, according to The Hill.
“They’ll be the fastest, the biggest and by far, 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built,” Trump said at Mar-a-Lago, flanked by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Navy Secretary John Phelan, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
USS Defiant To Lead Navy Expansion
Trump emphasized that the vessels, made entirely of steel, are intended to counter “everybody,” not just specific adversaries.
The first ship, named USS Defiant, will carry a nuclear-capable, sea-launched cruise missile, Phelan said.
The administration envisions a fleet of 20 to 25 ships as part of an effort to bolster the Navy’s capabilities, upgrading existing Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
The announcement comes amid ongoing concerns within the Navy about fleet shortages.
Adm. Daryl Caudle, Chief of Naval Operations, said last week that the U.S. small surface combatant inventory is at one-third of what is needed.
“We need more capable blue-water small combatants to close the gap and keep our DDGs [guided-missile destroyers] focused on the high-end fight,” Caudle said.
Trump, Petro Clash Over Venezuela Oil And Cocaine Trade
On Monday, President Trump escalated tensions with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, warning him to “watch it” over cocaine production and criticizing his stance on U.S. demands for Venezuela to return seized oil assets.
The feud coincided with U.S. enforcement actions against Venezuela’s oil exports, including the recent Coast Guard interception of the Panama-flagged tanker Centuries, which officials said was part of Maduro’s shadow fleet.
Venezuela condemned the seizure as “international piracy” and reported its crew missing, vowing to take the matter to the United Nations.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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