Trump-Named Future Battleships to Feature Hypersonic and Nuclear Missiles, Electromagnetic Gun

In Florida, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new U.S. Navy program to build large, modern battleships armed with nuclear cruise missiles.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan attended the announcement, according to Naval News.

The new class of ships will be called the Trump class and will be part of the “Golden Fleet” initiative, which aims to revive American shipbuilding. Trump said that the first two ships have already been approved for construction, with plans to build up to 25 vessels in total.

The lead ship of the class will be USS Defiant, which, according to the design, will have a displacement of 30,000–40,000 tons, exceeding that of the world’s largest current combat ships, including Russia’s Orlan-class cruisers.

The renderings show massive SPY-6 radars, laser systems, and more than 100 vertical launch system (VLS) cells.

The USS Defiant design includes an integrated superstructure with remotely operated weapon systems and an advanced gun system similar to an electromagnetic railgun. President Trump confirmed that the ships will be equipped with this previously experimental technology.

The battleship will carry at least four SEWIP Block III electronic warfare systems and Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launchers for close-in defense. The ship’s central hull section will house three groups of vertical launch system (VLS) cells for Tomahawk cruise missiles and Standard air-defense missiles.

A separate large block of launchers in the bow section is intended for Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missiles, which are already being integrated on Zumwalt-class destroyers.

The renderings also show two 127-mm Mark 45 naval guns positioned toward the front of the ship. Behind them are additional launch systems, likely modified Lockheed Martin Growth VLS, capable of firing multiple types of missiles simultaneously.

Trump also confirmed that the ships will be equipped with SLCM-N nuclear-armed cruise missiles, which are currently under development for the U.S. Navy.

Secretary of the Navy John Phelan stated that the Trump-class battleships will serve as fleet flagships, capable of operating as command platforms for admirals.

Main technical specifications of USS Defiant:
Armament:

• 2 × 127 mm Mk 45 naval guns
• 1 × 32-MJ LRG electromagnetic railgun
• Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) air-defense missiles
• Standard surface-to-air missiles
• Tomahawk cruise missiles
• 12 × Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missiles
• SLCM-N nuclear-armed cruise missiles
• 2 × 300 kW laser systems
• 4 × 30 mm Mk 38 cannons

Air wing:

• 1 × V-22 Osprey & Future Vertical Lift (FVL) aircraft