Trump unveils ‘Trump-class’ US battleships
US President Trump has announced plans for a new “Trump-class” warship, marking the beginning of an expanded naval build-up and increasing scrutiny of defense contractors over production delays and cost overruns.
Trump said the new warships would be larger, faster and “100 times more powerful” than those built before and would form the centerpiece of what he called an expanded “Golden Fleet” aimed at strengthening US maritime dominance.
The program will start with two ships and the number is expected to reach 20 to 25 ships. The first of the class will be named USS Defiant.
The announcement represents the latest example of the president rebranding an aspect of the federal government in his own image. Trump, who has previously criticized the appearance of US warships, will be personally involved in the designs.
The ships will weigh more than 30,000 tonnes, meaning they will be larger than existing destroyers, and will be equipped with the latest technology, including artificial intelligence and directed energy lasers, he said.
“We haven’t built a warship since 1994. These state-of-the-art ships will be some of the most lethal surface warships… other than our submarines,” Trump said Monday.
Some U.S. officials have warned that failure to build new warships in recent years has given an advantage to economic and military rival China. Trump downplayed China’s influence on the decision, saying the expansion was “against everyone.”
The Navy’s expansion would also match renewed pressure on defense contractors to ramp up production and rein in costs, he said.
He said he would meet with major defense firms next week to address delays and overruns and examine whether executive compensation, stock buybacks and dividends contributed to missed production targets.
“We don’t want executives making $50 million ($75 million) a year, handing out huge dividends to everyone and doing buybacks at the same time while production of F35s and other jets is languishing,” Trump said.
Reuters reported last week that the administration was planning an executive order that would limit dividends, buybacks and executive pay for defense contractors whose projects are over budget and delayed.
Trump and the Pentagon bemoan the expensive, slow-moving and sedentary nature of the defense industry and promise dramatic changes that will make war equipment production more agile.
Australia’s Associated Press is the beating heart of Australian news. AAP is Australia’s only independent national news channel and has been providing accurate, reliable and fast-paced news content to the media industry, government and corporate sector for 85 years. We inform Australia.
