Donald Trump unveils new battleship named after himself

President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will commission a new series of heavily armed naval “battleships” named after him as part of a revamped “Golden Fleet.”

Construction of the Trump-class Challenger warship, which will be equipped with an array of weapons, is expected to begin soon, with Trump saying the first ship will be operational within two and a half years.

The announcement is part of President Trump’s plan to massively expand the U.S. Navy’s manned and unmanned ships, including large guided-missile warships and smaller craft.

Officials warn that the United States currently lags behind China in both shipbuilding capacity and overall production.

Speaking on Monday at Mar-a-Lago Golf Club in Florida alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegers, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Navy Secretary John Phelan, Trump said he approved the start of construction of two new warships, with plans to build as many as 25 more.

“They will be the fastest, the largest and, by far, 100 times more powerful than any warship ever built,” Trump said.

Trump said that once completed, the armed ships will be equipped to carry hypersonic and “extremely lethal” weapons and will become the flagship of the U.S. Navy.

When Trump spoke, posters with renderings of the “Trump-class” ships were posted on both sides. He said that these ships will be built domestically and that their construction will create “thousands” of jobs.

Phelan recently told the Wall Street Journal that Trump specifically requested the construction of a “big, beautiful” battleship as part of a fleet that also includes dozens of support and transport ships.

On December 19, the U.S. Navy announced the launch of another new group of ships based on the U.S. Coast Guard’s Legend-class national security cutters.

“Recent operations from the Red Sea to the Caribbean have made this requirement undeniable – we have one-third of the small surface combatants we have today,” Chief of Naval Operations Darryl Caudle said in a video statement about the new ships.

“We need more capable blue-water small combatants to close the gap and keep our (destroyers) focused on high-end combat,” he added.

Another similar ship approved by Trump during his first term, the Constellation-class frigate, was canceled in 2024 after repeated delays and cost overruns.

According to reports, only two ships are expected to be delivered after spending around $2bn (£1.49bn) on the project.

U.S. officials and defense analysts have repeatedly warned that the United States lags behind its main potential maritime rival, China, in its shipbuilding capabilities.

This year, more than 60% of global orders went to Chinese shipyardsits navy is already the largest in the world.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has vowed to revive the U.S. shipbuilding industry.

“We built a lot of ships in the past,” Trump said in March. “We’re not producing many, but we’re producing them very quickly. It’s going to have a huge impact.”

In October, Trump and Finnish President Alexander Stubb signed an agreement for the United States to purchase 11 Finnish-designed icebreakers, including seven built in the United States using Finnish expertise.

The president’s announcement comes as U.S. naval and air force assets have flooded into the Caribbean amid rising tensions with Venezuela.

The United States began attacking ships allegedly carrying drugs in September, killing at least 100 people.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump claimed that thousands of American lives were saved by preventing deadly drugs from entering the United States due to the ship attacks.

The attacks have been criticized by some experts, who say they may violate international law governing armed conflict.