Inside Trump’s ‘Golden Fleet’ plan to regain U.S. dominance of the sea with new warships

A new idea is quietly taking shape inside U.S. defense circles — one that could dramatically redefine America’s power at sea. Known for now as the “Golden Fleet,” the proposal reflects President Donald Trump’s push to restore what he sees as lost naval dominance and to give the Navy a striking new look that matches his signature style.

Although the plan has no official budget or launch date, several defense experts say the U.S. may be preparing to rethink its entire surface fleet. The emerging vision centers on larger, longer-range warships capable of carrying significantly more missiles, supported by smaller unmanned vessels and corvette-type ships.

Ships with “really long-range missiles”

Retired Navy officer and Hudson Institute senior fellow Bryan Clark, who has taken part in early discussions, told The Wall Street Journal that “this battleship of tomorrow is going to be this thing that carries really long-range missiles.” Trump, for his part, has complained that he doesn’t like the look of today’s ships and wants a powerful, visually commanding fleet — the Golden Fleet — to stand as a symbol of renewed American strength.

Under the concept, the Navy would build warships between 15,000 and 20,000 tons, significantly larger than today’s destroyers and closer in size to traditional cruisers. These ships would include advanced propulsion systems, reinforced hulls, integrated sensors, and modular combat suites designed to evolve with technology.

Trump’s Golden Fleet has several obstacles to overcome

But if the vision sounds ambitious, the challenges are enormous. U.S. shipyards are already stretched thin producing Columbia-class submarines and Ford-class aircraft carriers. And the future of naval warfare is shifting rapidly toward unmanned vessels — including experimental platforms in the “Ghost Fleet Overlord” program — raising questions about how large, crewed ships fit into tomorrow’s battlespace.

Meanwhile, China now has the world’s largest navy by number of ships, setting the backdrop for Washington’s renewed sense of urgency. Even so, expanded funding for a project of this scale isn’t expected until 2027, meaning that Trump’s desire for rapid construction and a bold redesign may clash with shipbuilding realities.

For now, the Golden Fleet remains more vision than blueprint — but it signals a profound debate over what America’s Navy should look like in the years ahead, and how the nation plans to confront the rise of China at sea.

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