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President Trump’s plan for new American battleships appear to be going for a “bigger-is-better” mantra — perhaps a nod to the commander-in-chief whose name they will carry.
The Trump-class vessels will be the largest surface combatants in the world — and the most heavily armed warships built by the US since World War II, according to publicly released specs and an analysis of the images released by the White House Monday.
The first ship in the class, the USS Defiant is set to be the centerpiece of the Trump administration’s revamp of the US Navy, standing a mega 840 to 880 feet in length and 105 to 115 feet across.
At 30,000 to 40,000 tons, it would be three to four times larger than the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers that are the mainstay of the US Navy’s fleet.
They’ve also be significantly larger than any other warships in the world — including Russia’s aging Kirov-class nuclear-powered battlecruiser.
Only aircraft carriers by the US, the UK, France and China would be larger.
It will also reach speeds of up to 30 knots, with a crew of between 650 and 680.
The Trump-class is expected to have 128 vertical launch cells capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles, and other missiles.
Additionally, there will be 12 Conventional Prompt Strike long-range hypersonic missiles and five-inch guns, USNI News reported.
Artist renderings of the ships also show laser weapons and rail guns — technologies that are still being developed.
The ship will use gas turbines and diesels engines to drive an electrical grid that will supply power to the ship’s weapon systems and sensors, according to Navy data.
Its flight deck and hangar will be capable of fielding V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and the latest in vertical lift aircraft.
The USS Defiant will be the first ship in Trump’s “Golden Fleet,” a expansion of the US Navy.
Trump said Monday he expects it to eventually have to 20 and 25 of the battleships.
It will be armed with the latest technology, including AI and directed energy lasers.
The USS Defiant will be the biggest US surface warship since the 60,000-ton USS Missouri battleship, which was turned over to the Navy in 1944.
USS Missouri was later the site of Japan’s formal declaration of surrender at the end of World War II.
A proposed 20,000-ton guided-missile cruiser, part of the Next Generation Cruiser program, was scrapped in 2010 under Barack Obama.
“The battleship will be capable of operating independently, as part of a Carrier Strike Group, or commanding its own Surface Action Group depending on the mission and threat environment,” the Navy said in a data sheet for the USS Defiant.
“With the ability to provide forward command and control for both manned and unmanned platforms, [the] battleship will be a critical component in executing the Navy Warfighting Concept,” the news release continued.
“We haven’t built a battleship since 1994. These cutting-edge vessels will be some of the most lethal surface warfare ships… other than our submarines,” President Trump said at a Monday presentation announcing the new fleet.
The ship, along with the others in the Golden Fleet, will be built in the US, President Trump said, although he noted that the US will work with others.
He didn’t disclose whether this means that other countries will be involved in the construction.
English (US)