Trump's golden fleet: the battleship returns

Overview

Trump just announced the United States will build battleships again. The USS Defiant (BBG-1)—lead ship of the Trump-class—will be the largest American surface combatant since World War II at 35,000 tons, armed with nuclear cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons, rail guns, and lasers. Construction starts in 2030, and the Navy wants 20 to 25 ships at over $10 billion each.

One day after the announcement, the Pentagon released its annual China report. Beijing plans to build six more aircraft carriers for a total of nine by 2035—the largest carrier expansion in the Indo-Pacific since World War II.

The announcement has split the defense establishment, particularly given that China operates 370 warships to America's 294, and its shipbuilding capacity dwarfs ours by 230-to-1. Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery called them "exactly what we don't need" (massive targets with "zero tactical use" against China's missiles), while Chinese state media mocked them as "easier targets" when densely loaded with munitions. The Navy's last attempt at a super-destroyer, the Zumwalt-class, became a $24 billion cautionary tale with only three ships built before cancellation, and Congress has not yet appropriated funds for the Trump-class program.

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Key Indicators

35,000

Tons displacement (USS Defiant)

Largest US surface combatant since WWII, triple the size of Arleigh Burke destroyers

$10B+

Estimated cost per ship

No official estimate disclosed; Admiral Montgomery predicts $10-15B per ship

20-25

Planned fleet size

Initial purchase of 2 ships, intermediate goal of 10, ultimate goal of 25 vessels

China's carrier goal by 2035

Six new carriers added to three existing—largest Indo-Pacific expansion since WWII

2030

Construction start date

Early 2030s projected construction start; delivery likely mid-to-late 2030s

Interactive

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People Involved

Donald Trump

Announced program at Mar-a-Lago December 2025

Pete Hegseth

Co-announced Golden Fleet initiative

John Phelan

Leading Golden Fleet implementation

Admiral Daryl Caudle

Supports Trump-class program as CNO

Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery

Leading critic of Trump-class program

Organizations Involved

United States Navy

Federal military service

Implementing Golden Fleet modernization while facing shipbuilding crisis

The Navy operates 294 warships compared to China's 370-plus fleet.

Huntington Ingalls Industries

Defense Contractor / Shipbuilder

Expected prime contractor for Trump-class construction

America's largest military shipbuilder with 44,000 employees and a $56.9 billion backlog.

Timeline

Congressional Funding Uncertainty
Procurement

Defense analysts note program requires Congressional approval and funding before construction can begin. Navy faces budget strain with existing programs. CBO estimates growing fleet to 381 ships requires $40B annual shipbuilding budgets versus current average of $26B. Congressional skepticism cited due to Navy's track record with delayed, over-budget programs.
December 24th, 2025
Naval Experts Voice Skepticism
Analysis

Defense analysts predict the program will never sail, noting years of design work, $9B+ per-ship costs, and contradiction with Navy's distributed operations doctrine. CSIS and other think tanks question whether future administrations will continue funding. Shipyard capacity concerns raised given Newport News is sole builder capable of construction while simultaneously building aircraft carriers.
December 23rd, 2025
Pentagon China Report: 9 Carriers by 2035
Investigation

Pentagon's annual China Military Power Report reveals Beijing plans to build six additional aircraft carriers for a total of nine by 2035. Report describes the largest carrier expansion in Indo-Pacific since WWII. China's 80,000-ton Fujian carrier with electromagnetic catapult called one of most important 2025 developments.
December 23rd, 2025
Admiral Montgomery: 'Zero Tactical Use'
Analysis

Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, senior fellow at Foundation for Defense of Democracies, calls battleships "exactly what we don't need." Says ships have "zero tactical use" against Chinese threat and Navy needs "distributed fleet with weapons on a large fleet of minimally manned platforms" instead of behemoths. Estimates first ship will cost $10-15 billion.
December 23rd, 2025
Chinese State Media Warns of Vulnerability
International

Chinese naval expert Zhang, quoted by state-run Global Times, warns the large battleship size makes it "more vulnerable and potentially an easier target, particularly when it is densely loaded with munitions." Questions whether diminished US shipbuilding industry can handle the project. Renmin University professor Shi Yinhong says plan is "completely targeting" China.
December 23rd, 2025
Trump Unveils Trump-Class Battleship Program
Announcement

President Trump, Defense Secretary Hegseth, and Navy Secretary Phelan announce at Mar-a-Lago the USS Defiant will lead a new battleship class. Ships will displace 35,000 tons with nuclear cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons, lasers, rail guns. Initial buy of 2 ships, ultimate goal of 20-25. Construction planned for 2030 start. Cost estimates exceed $10B per ship.
December 22nd, 2025
New FF(X) Frigate Program Announced
Procurement

Navy awards HII contract for small surface combatant frigates based on proven Legend-class Coast Guard cutter design. First hull expected 2028. Part of Golden Fleet's distributed warfare concept.
December 19th, 2025
Constellation-Class Frigate Program Cut
Procurement

Secretary Phelan terminates final 4 ships of troubled Constellation-class frigate program. GAO found program 36 months behind schedule. Only two ships under construction will be completed.
November 25th, 2025
Admiral Daryl Caudle Confirmed as CNO
Appointment

Senate confirms Admiral Daryl Caudle as Chief of Naval Operations. He later declares the Navy "needs a larger surface combatant" and the Trump-class battleships meet that requirement.
August 26th, 2025
John Phelan Confirmed as Navy Secretary
Appointment

Senate confirms investor John Phelan 62-30 as Navy Secretary. First person in 15+ years to lead Navy without military service. Promised to address housing, suicide rates, shipbuilding delays using business management experience.
March 24th, 2025
GAO Reports Shipbuilding Cost Crisis
Investigation

Government Accountability Office finds Navy shipbuilding programs running $10.4 billion over budget through 2029. DDG-51 delays grew by 18 months. DDG(X) costs estimated at $4.4B per ship versus Navy's $3.3B projection.
2024
Zumwalt-Class Program Truncated
Procurement

Navy cuts Zumwalt-class super-destroyer program to just 3 ships after costs reached $24 billion total. Originally planned for 32 ships at $1.4B each, final cost hit $8B per ship. Advanced Gun System rendered useless when ammunition cost $1M per round.
2013
Last US Battleship Decommissioned
Historical

USS Missouri retired from service, ending the battleship era. The Iowa-class battleships had been briefly reactivated in the 1980s and saw action in the Gulf War before final retirement.
March 31st, 1992

Scenarios

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Program Canceled Before First Ship Completed

The battleship program follows the Zumwalt trajectory. Design work extends through 2028-2029 with cost estimates climbing to $12-15 billion per ship. A future administration facing budget constraints cancels the program after spending $3-5 billion on design and early construction. The Newport News shipyard capacity bottleneck becomes insurmountable when forced to choose between carriers and battleships. Congress redirects funds to the FF(X) frigate program and unmanned surface vessels that align with distributed maritime operations doctrine. The Trump-class becomes another cautionary tale in naval procurement.

Discussed by: Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), multiple defense analysts quoted by CNN, DefenseScoop, and Washington Times

Consensus —

Two Ships Built, Program Ends

The Navy completes the initial two-ship buy with USS Defiant commissioning around 2035-2037. Costs reach $11-13 billion per ship as predicted. The ships prove capable but represent poor value compared to building 8-10 smaller surface combatants for the same price. Operational testing reveals vulnerabilities to modern anti-ship missiles and drone swarms. After the second ship, a budget-conscious Congress cuts funding. The two battleships serve as prestigious flagships for Pacific and Atlantic fleets but never see combat. They're eventually retrofitted as hypersonic missile platforms, abandoning the battleship concept.

Discussed by: Naval analysts at The War Zone, Breaking Defense, defense procurement experts

Consensus —

Full Fleet Built, Doctrine Shifts to Capital Ships

A sustained political commitment across multiple administrations builds 15-20 Trump-class battleships through the 2040s. Advances in directed energy weapons, rail guns, and defensive systems prove effective against missiles and drones, validating heavy armor. A major conflict in the Pacific demonstrates that distributed small-vessel doctrine fails against peer adversaries with satellite targeting—the battleships' survivability and firepower prove decisive. China responds by building its own super-capital ships. Naval warfare shifts back toward large, heavily-armed platforms supported by unmanned escorts. The Golden Fleet becomes the new naval paradigm.

Discussed by: Trump administration officials, supporters of the Golden Fleet concept, some naval traditionalists

Consensus —

Redesigned as Arsenal Ships, Not Battleships

During the extended design phase, the Navy fundamentally rethinks the Trump-class. Heavy armor and guns are abandoned in favor of maximum missile capacity—500+ vertical launch cells carrying hypersonic weapons, anti-air missiles, and cruise missiles. The ships become floating arsenals supporting distributed operations, not battleships. This pivot saves the program politically by aligning with modern doctrine while preserving the large hull size for massive weapons capacity. The ships are built but bear little resemblance to the original battleship concept. They're effectively scaled-up versions of the arsenal ship concept the Navy explored in the 1990s.

Discussed by: Technology-focused defense analysts, Navy weapons system experts

Consensus —

Historical Context

Zumwalt-Class Destroyer Program (2001-2016)

2001-2016

What Happened

The Navy attempted to build a revolutionary stealth destroyer with advanced guns, electric propulsion, and automation. Originally planning 32 ships at $1.4 billion each, costs exploded to $8 billion per ship. The Advanced Gun System's ammunition hit $1 million per round, rendering the guns useless. After building just three ships, the program was canceled in 2016.

Outcome

Short Term

The three Zumwalt-class destroyers were repurposed for surface warfare and are now being retrofitted to carry hypersonic missiles.

Long Term

The $24 billion failure became a cautionary tale that fundamentally changed Navy procurement. Congress now requires mature technologies before construction, following the mantra 'Build a little, test a little, learn a lot.'

Why It's Relevant Today

The Trump-class faces identical risks: unproven weapons systems (rail guns, lasers), ambitious specifications, and a single shipyard. Critics cite Zumwalt as evidence this program will fail the same way.

Great White Fleet World Tour (1907-1909)

1907-1909

What Happened

President Theodore Roosevelt sent 16 new battleships on a globe-circling voyage to demonstrate American naval power. The fleet visited dozens of countries over 14 months, signaling that the United States had become the world's second-largest navy. The deployment was partly aimed at Japan following tensions over immigration and influence in the Pacific.

Outcome

Short Term

The voyage was considered a diplomatic success, easing tensions with Japan while showcasing American industrial and naval strength.

Long Term

The Great White Fleet established the United States as a global naval power, transforming perceptions from a regional player to a world-stage force. It validated Roosevelt's 'speak softly and carry a big stick' doctrine.

Why It's Relevant Today

Trump's Golden Fleet consciously echoes Roosevelt's power projection. Both presidents used naval expansion to signal American strength amid great-power competition—Roosevelt against Japan, Trump against China. The parallel suggests the battleship program is as much about symbolism as capability.

Iowa-Class Battleship Decommissioning (1992)

1945-1992

What Happened

The Iowa-class battleships served in World War II, Korea, and after 1980s reactivation, the Gulf War. USS Missouri was the last to decommission in March 1992. The Navy concluded that in the missile age, battleships were too expensive to operate, required 1,500+ crew versus 300 for a destroyer, and were vulnerable to modern anti-ship missiles despite heavy armor.

Outcome

Short Term

All four Iowa-class ships became museums. The industrial base to build battleships—gun barrel foundries, armor plate mills—disappeared.

Long Term

For 33 years, no navy has built a traditional battleship. The naval warfare consensus shifted to smaller, more numerous surface combatants with missiles rather than large capital ships with guns.

Why It's Relevant Today

The Trump-class attempts to reverse this 33-year consensus. Advocates say new technologies (hypersonics, lasers, rail guns) have changed the calculus. Critics say the same vulnerability problems exist—possibly worse given advances in anti-ship missiles and drone swarms.