PALM BEACH, Florida, Dec 22 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump announced on Monday plans to build a new “Trump-class” of battleships — larger, faster and “100 times more powerful” than any before — aimed at cementing U.S. naval dominance, starting with two vessels as part of an expanded “Golden Fleet.”
He said the project would eventually be expanded to encompass 20 to 25 new vessels.
The planned build-out of warships will ultimately result in “more tonnage and firepower under construction than at any time in history,” U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan said, adding that components would be built in every U.S. state.
He said the battleships would not only feature the “biggest guns” ever carried on a U.S. warship but also would carry nuclear-armed, sea-launched cruise missiles. The first of the new battleships will be christened the USS Defiant.
In addition to the new battleship class, the Golden Fleet envisions an increase in the number of other types of war vessels, including a smaller, more nimble frigate class previously announced by the U.S. Navy, Trump said.
(Reporting by Steve Holland in Washington; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Chris Reese and Howard Goller)
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