Is Trump class game-changer or expensive pipe fream for US Navy?

US President Donald Trump recently unveiled plans for a new class of US Navy warships, named the Trump class, during an event at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

The vessels, intended to be armed with a range of advanced weaponry, including nuclear-armed and hypersonic missiles, electromagnetic railguns, and laser-directed energy weapons, are part of a broader initiative known as the "Golden Fleet," according to the The War Zone.

Trump announced the goal of building at least two of these large surface combatants, with the first ship to be named USS Defiant. The fleet could eventually expand to 10 ships or more, each with a displacement of 30,000 to 40,000 tons.

The Trump class ships are described as the new flagships of the American naval fleet. These warships are expected to be roughly three times the size of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, currently the workhorse of the Navy’s surface fleet.

Despite being referred to as “battleships,” a term traditionally linked to heavily armoured ships with large guns, the Trump class will feature modern armament, including Intermediate-Range Conventional Prompt Strike (IRCPS) hypersonic missiles and vertical launch systems (VLS) capable of firing a variety of missiles, such as Tomahawk and Standard Missiles. Additionally, a new nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile, the SLCM-N, is under development for these vessels.

“American strength is back on the world stage, and the announcement of the Golden Fleet, anchored by new battleships, the biggest and most lethal ever, marks a generational commitment to American sea power," Trump stated at the announcement. 

This appears to be the first time a class of Navy ships has been named after a sitting US president. The Navy has often drawn criticism in the past for naming ships after living individuals, in general. It is unusual for the lead ship in a class of US Navy vessels not to bear the name of that class (USS Defiant here instead of something like USS Trump or USS Donald J. Trump), as well.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasised that the Trump class would provide a strategic deterrent for generations to come, while Secretary of the Navy John Phelan declared that the USS Defiant would be a symbol of American pride, “inspiring awe and reverence for the American flag whenever it pulls into a foreign port.”

The Trump class ships are designed to address a growing need for more surface combatants in the Navy, the TWZ writes.

As the service prepares to decommission older ships, including the Ticonderoga-class cruisers, the Trump class could help fill the gap left by the loss of missile launch capabilities. However, questions remain about the ships' cost, their potential role in naval strategy, and whether they can be produced and maintained in sufficient numbers to meet the Navy's demands.

In his remarks, Phelan highlighted the importance of these ships, stating, “When a conflict arises, you [the president] are going to ask not one, but two questions: where are the carriers and where are the battleships?”

The Navy insists it is taking steps to avoid past pitfalls going forward, and to help revitalise US shipbuilding industry in the process, but there continue to be challenges on the horizon.

This announcement has sparked debate about the Navy’s long-term strategy and resource allocation, especially as the military faces challenges in balancing large, advanced ships like the Trump class with the need for more affordable, rapidly deployable vessels. 

By Sabina Mammadli