Against the backdrop of rising tensions with Venezuela, US President Donald Trump announced overnight Monday approval of a plan to build two new warships, which he dubbed the “Trump Class.” He said the US Navy would begin building a new type of vessel that would be larger, faster and “100 times more powerful” than any previous American warship.
Trump said the program would start with two ships, expand to 10 and eventually grow to between 20 and 25 vessels. He described the ships as superior weapons systems meant to replace what he called a tired and outdated US fleet. He said the project would help preserve US military dominance, revive the American shipbuilding industry and deter adversaries worldwide.
Donald Trump announces new warships: '100 times more powerful'
(Video: White House)
Standing alongside renderings of the proposed vessels, Trump said he would take an active role in their design as part of what he called a new “Golden Fleet” for the Navy. He said the ships would be equipped with advanced cannons and missiles, hypersonic weapons, electromagnetic rail guns, cruise missiles and advanced laser systems, and would be the largest ships ever built. Each vessel is expected to weigh between 30,000 and 40,000 tons and to feature specialized artificial intelligence systems, though he did not provide details. He said the ships would be the first in an entirely new class to be produced in the coming years.
Trump also issued a direct warning to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, saying it would be wise for him to leave, adding that if Maduro chose to act tough, it would be the last time he could do so. The announcement came amid a significant US naval buildup in the Caribbean as Trump increases pressure on Maduro, including efforts to cut off Venezuela’s oil revenue.
Also attending the announcement were Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State and national security adviser Marco Rubio and Navy Secretary John Phelan. Phelan said the ships would be equipped with a nuclear-armed, sea-launched cruise missile and described the project as part of the president’s broader “Golden Fleet” initiative.
Over the weekend, the United States announced that its forces had seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela that had recently departed the country. Venezuela protested the seizure, calling it theft and kidnapping. US forces stopped the tanker amid heightened regional tensions and Venezuelan concerns that Trump could launch military action against the country.
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(Photo: AFP PHOTO / US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem's X account, shutterstock, AP / Alex Brandon)
Trump said the seized oil would be kept by the United States, adding that it might be sold, stored or added to the strategic reserve.
The tanker, Centuries, was carrying oil belonging to Venezuela’s state-run company PDVSA, which is under US sanctions. While the vessel sails under the Panamanian flag and is Chinese-owned, the White House said it is part of Venezuela’s so-called shadow fleet, used to evade sanctions and transport oil undetected. Days earlier, Trump announced a naval blockade of Venezuela aimed at preventing sanctioned oil tankers from entering or leaving the country. The Centuries does not appear on the US Treasury Department’s sanctions list, despite claims that it is used by the Venezuelan government.