President Donald Trump is expected to announce plans for a new class of large US Navy surface combatants he has described as “battleships”, according to reports in U.S. media.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the announcement is due on Monday and will form part of what the White House is calling a broader “Golden Fleet” vision for revitalising the US Navy. The proposal would mark a significant departure from current US naval force structure, which has focused on aircraft carriers, destroyers, submarines and increasingly unmanned platforms rather than heavily armed capital ships.
According to U.S. officials cited by the Journal, the planned vessels would be larger than existing destroyers and cruisers, with some reports suggesting displacement in the region of 15,000 to 20,000 tonnes. While the administration has revived the historic “battleship” label, defence analysts quoted in U.S. coverage note that the ships would not resemble the heavily armoured gun platforms of the 20th century, but instead function as large, missile-armed surface combatants.
U.S. media reporting indicates that the ships are expected to feature advanced offensive strike capabilities, potentially including hypersonic weapons, and would be designed to operate alongside smaller surface combatants and unmanned systems. The concept is framed as part of a wider effort to counter China’s growing naval power in the Indo-Pacific.
Trump has long criticised the condition and appearance of the US fleet, previously describing American warships as “terrible-looking” and in need of renewal. During his first term, he repeatedly called for a major expansion and modernisation of naval forces, though many proposals were constrained by cost, shipyard capacity and congressional scrutiny.
Details of funding, timelines and industrial impact were not immediately clear, and U.S. media reports note that any new class of large surface combatant would require congressional approval and long-term budget commitments.