Trump unveils ‘Trump-class’ battleships for US Navy’s ‘Golden Fleet’

Trump unveils ‘Trump-class’ battleships for US Navy’s ‘Golden Fleet’ The US president says the new vessels will ensure naval dominance and include AI and laser technology. United States President Donald Trump has announced plans to build a new “Trump-class” of battleships that he said would be larger, faster and 100 times more powerful than the biggest of any previous American-built warships. Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Monday, Trump said the battleships would be part of a larger vision to create what he called a “Golden Fleet” that would help ensure US naval dominance. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 Trump says US has launched large-scale attacks on ISIL in Syria list 2 of 3 US pursues third oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela list 3 of 3 Trump pauses more offshore wind projects citing national security concerns The US president announced the plans while standing next to a rendering of the new ships, which appeared to have his image emblazoned on them. “We had big battleships. These are bigger. They’ll be 100 times the force, the power [of the old ships], and there’s never been anything like these ships,” Trump said. He added that the vessels would be “cutting edge” and equipped with the latest technology, including artificial intelligence and directed energy lasers. They will also be armed with hypersonic missiles, nuclear cruise missiles and rail guns - all technologies that are in various stages of development by the US Navy. “Each one of these will be the largest battleship in the history of our country, the largest battleship in the history of the world,” he said. Trump downplayed the idea that the new ships were meant to counter any particular country, saying that they were “a counter to everybody”. The US president said that production would start with two ships, but could scale up to 10, and as many as 25, over an unspecified period of time. Trump said work on the first two would begin “immediately” and that the first ship would be named the USS Defiant. Both Trump and Navy Secretary John Phelan spoke about the new Trump-class warship as a spiritual successor to the battleships of the 20th century, but historically, that term has referred to a very specific type of ship - a large, heavily armoured vessel armed with massive guns designed to bombard other ships or targets ashore. This type of ship was at the height of prominence during World War II, and the largest of the US battleships, the Iowa-class, were roughly 60,000 tonnes. But after World War II, the battleship’s role in modern fleets diminished rapidly in favour of aircraft carriers and long-range missiles. Trump referenced the Great White Fleet, commissioned by former President Theodore Roosevelt during the early 20th century as a symbol of US naval strength, as well as a documentary about naval warfare during the second world war. “Victory at Sea. I don’t know if anyone has seen Victory at Sea,...

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