At a press conference held at his estate in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, on Monday, December 22, Trump announced his plans to build two new military ships for the U.S. Navy. The event was also attended by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Navy Secretary John Phelan. The President emphasized that the new ships will have a displacement of 30,000 to 40,000 tons and will be equipped with modern weapon systems such as hypersonic missiles, electric railguns, and powerful laser systems, as well as developing cruise missiles with nuclear warheads.
“These ships will be a hundred times more powerful than any other military vessels ever built,” Trump noted, adding that they will play a key role in the American Navy.
Experts estimate that the new combat ships will be significantly larger than the current destroyers and cruisers in service, but smaller than the Iowa-class battleships, which were decommissioned in the 1990s, AFP reports.
The President suggested that it will take about 2.5 years to build the first two ships, and in the future, their number in the U.S. Navy could increase to 10, and then to 20-25 units.
As AFP points out, the announcement of the new ships comes amid increasing military rivalry between the U.S. and China. In recent years, China has significantly enhanced the power of its navy, with the recent achievement being the commissioning of its third aircraft carrier.
However, Trump emphasized that the new combat ships are not intended to confront China. “This is in case we have to face anyone. We have great relations with China,” Fox News quotes him. “I maintain good relations with Chairman Xi, and this is not about China. It’s about being ready for any challenge we may face, and we strive for peace through strength,” he added.
The President also linked the announcement of the new class of ships to the need to stimulate the U.S. defense industry, noting that he plans to discuss increasing investments and reducing delivery times for defense factories with major military contractors next week.
According to Fox News, the U.S. Navy currently has approximately 294 military ships. At the same time, according to Pentagon information, the People’s Liberation Army Navy includes 370 surface and underwater vessels.
