US President Donald Trump on Monday announced a new “Trump class” of Navy battleships named after himself under the revamped “Golden Fleet.” Construction on the “largest ever battleships,” equipped to carry an array of weapons, including nuclear missiles and guns, is likely begin soon, with the Republican President stating they will be operational in 2.5 years.
What is Trump-Class?
Trump said that the United States will build a total of 20 to 25 USS Defiant ships, which will be 100 times the force compared to the existing battleships in the nation. The new “Trump class” of Navy battleships will be named after President Donald Trump under the revamped “Golden Fleet.
“We are going into a Golden Fleet; we are building for the United States Navy. We desperately needed ships as some of them have become old, tired, and obsolete. As Commander in Chief, I have approved a plan for the Navy to begin the construction of the brand new, largest we have ever built battle ships. They will be 100 times the force, the power. These have been under design consideration for a long time, and started with me in my first term. These are the best in the world, the fastest, the biggest,” he said.
New ‘largest battleships in US history’ to weigh…
The latest announcement is part of a larger planned expansion of the US Navy by the Trump administration in both manned and unmanned vessels. This also includes larger missile-armed warships and smaller vessels. President Trump added that the new battleships weighing 30,000-40,000 tonnes will be the “most lethal” warships.
“We haven’t built a battleship since 1994. We used to build ships during World War II, but now we don’t build ships anymore. These cutting-edge vessels will be some of the most lethal surface warfare ships. Each one will be the largest battleship in the history of the world. We are talking about ten, but we are going to start with two, and ultimately we think it will be between 20 to 25 of these. These battleships have many missiles but also guns, and in many ways, guns can do the trick at a tiny fraction of the cost,” Trump said.
New warships to be AI-controlled
Once the construction is completed, these new battleships will be AI-controlled and flagships of the American Naval Fleet. “We have great navy yards, and we are negotiating with some companies which run those yards. The most sophisticated lasers on Earth will be on the battleships. They will also carry the nuclear arms and cruise missiles under development… They’ll be AI-controlled… The US Navy will lead the design of the ships along with me,” Trump added.
The announcement follows the United States ‘seizure of two oil tankers off the Venezuelan coast this month. Earlier on Sunday, the US Coast Guard personnel began pursuing what it described as a “dark fleet” vessel in international waters near Venezuela after the ship continued sailing and didn’t stop, CNN reported. The Bella 1 vessel was sailing toward Venezuela to load oil when the American military attempted to board it.
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