U.S. to build "Trump-class" warships for "Golden Fleet"

The U.S. will build "Trump-class" military vessels that the president on Monday suggested are new-age battleships, inching the country closer to construction of what the administration is advertising as "the Golden Fleet."The big picture: President Trump has in his second term obsessed over seapower — long a sign of a country's strength. Here, he again inserts himself.Trump has complained about the rusty appearances of ships. He's kickstarted a shipbuilding office with a promise to make vessels "very fast, very soon." He's massed destroyers and Marines in the Caribbean. And he's ordered a blockade off Venezuela as he beefs with the country's leader, Nicolás Maduro.While this naming convention bucks tradition, it is similar to the Air Force's earlier F-47 designation.Driving the news: Trump unveiled the plans while flanked at Mar-a-Lago by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Navy Secretary John Phelan."They'll be the fastest, the biggest, and by far 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built," Trump said.Concept art depicts something reminiscent of a cruiser. It has at least one laser weapon aboard and is capable of launching missiles. A helicopter hovers overhead. And an image of Trump raising his fist is emblazoned on the back.Friction point: The makeup and health of the Navy and its suppliers are fraught subjects. Battleships will further stir the pot — especially considering Monday's political imagery.Many of the service's existing projects, such as the Columbia-class nuclear submarine, are delayed, and the shipbuilding industry is operating in a "perpetual state of triage," according to the Government Accountability Office.Meanwhile, the capacities of China, Japan and South Korea are envied.Flashback: Trump "signed off on" the Golden Fleet earlier this month, Phelan previously told Axios.A related meeting at the White House involved the Navy secretary, Hegseth and Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought.Zoom out: Monday's announcement comes before any final word on F/A-XX. The Navy's futuristic fighter has been in limbo for months now, as rumors of contract award come and go and debates rage between a hesitant Pentagon and an eager industrial base.Go deeper: Navy unveils "ShipOS" with Palantir to speed up shipbuildingEditor's note: This article has been updated to include a White House Facebook post featuring imagery of "Trump-class" military vessels designs.