US President Donald Trump has announced the creation of a new class of battleships, the Trump Class, which, according to him, should serve as the basis for the so-called golden fleet of the US Navy. The new ships are designed to replace the fleet’s warships, which the president considers outdated, in particular the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers that currently form its basis.
This is reported by The New York Times.
According to Navy officials, the displacement of the Trump Class ships will exceed 35,000 tons, more than twice the displacement of the largest current US warships. It is expected that they will be able to carry hypersonic missiles, cruise missiles with nuclear warheads, as well as significantly more ammunition. Trump also said that the ships will be equipped with artificial intelligence systems.
Trump said the first two ships could be built within the next 2.5 years, and the US could build up to 20 ships in total. He plans to meet with defense contractors next week, threatening sanctions on companies that delay production.