The U.S. will build "Trump-class" military vessels that the president on Monday suggested are new-age battleships, inching the country closer to construction of what the administration is advertising as "the Golden Fleet."
The big picture: President Trump has in his second term obsessed over seapower — long a sign of a country's strength. Here, he again inserts himself.
- Trump has complained about the rusty appearances of ships. He's kickstarted a shipbuilding office with a promise to make vessels "very fast, very soon." He's massed destroyers and Marines in the Caribbean. And he's ordered a blockade off Venezuela as he beefs with the country's leader, Nicolás Maduro.
- While this naming convention bucks tradition, it is similar to the Air Force's earlier F-47 designation.
Driving the news: Trump unveiled the plans while flanked at Mar-a-Lago by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Navy Secretary John Phelan.
- "They'll be the fastest, the biggest, and by far 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built," Trump said.
- Concept art depicts something reminiscent of a cruiser. It has at least one laser weapon aboard and is capable of launching missiles. A helicopter hovers overhead. And an image of Trump raising his fist is emblazoned on the back.
Friction point: The makeup and health of the Navy and its suppliers are fraught subjects. Battleships will further stir the pot — especially considering Monday's political imagery.
- Many of the service's existing projects, such as the Columbia-class nuclear submarine, are delayed, and the shipbuilding industry is operating in a "perpetual state of triage," according to the Government Accountability Office.
- Meanwhile, the capacities of China, Japan and South Korea are envied.
Flashback: Trump "signed off on" the Golden Fleet earlier this month, Phelan previously told Axios.
- A related meeting at the White House involved the Navy secretary, Hegseth and Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought.
Zoom out: Monday's announcement comes before any final word on F/A-XX.
- The Navy's futuristic fighter has been in limbo for months now, as rumors of contract award come and go and debates rage between a hesitant Pentagon and an eager industrial base.
Go deeper: Navy unveils "ShipOS" with Palantir to speed up shipbuilding
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include a White House Facebook post featuring imagery of "Trump-class" military vessels designs.
