US President Donald Trump is reportedly pushing for a new armada of US Navy warships, dubbed the “Golden Fleet,” to counter what he sees as an increasing threat from China, as reported by the Wall Street JournalThe plans come as Trump prepares for a high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his first visit to Asia since assuming office in January this year.
‘Really long-range missiles ‘
According to the report, Trump and senior officials are discussing a fleet of advanced warships equipped with long-range missiles. “This battleship of tomorrow is going to be this thing that carries really long-range missiles,” Bryan Clark, a retired Navy officer and senior fellow at the Hudson Institute involved in the discussions, told the outlet.The Pentagon and the White House are also reportedly exploring plans for a new 15,000 to 20,000-ton ship that would be heavily armoured and could potentially carry hypersonic missiles. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly hinted at a forthcoming announcement, saying, “Stay tuned!” while praising Trump’s efforts to “bolster America’s maritime dominance.”
Why not an ‘ugly ship’?
Trump has long voiced opinions on the appearance of US Navy vessels. Former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper recalled telling Trump that warships “are built to fight and win, not win beauty contests.” At a recent summit in Virginia, Trump admitted he was “not a fan” of some ships. “They say, ‘Oh, it’s stealth.’ I said, ‘That’s not stealth.’ An ugly ship is not necessary in order to say you’re stealth,” he said.Navy secretary John Phelan also revealed that Trump frequently texted him late at night about the state of ships, sometimes after 1 am, asking what was being done about rusty vessels or those in the yard.
Is Trump’s ‘aesthetic eye’ important?
Not everyone agrees with the new fleet plans. Retired naval officer Mark Montgomery, a senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told the WSJ that the administration should focus on fixing the existing backlog of ship maintenance. “The president’s aesthetic eye is not the proper paradigm to evaluate tactical ship requirements,” he said.The proposal follows earlier controversies in the Navy, including a directive by defence secretary Pete Hegseth to rename the replenishment oiler USNS Harvey Milk, named after the gay rights icon and Navy veteran. Renaming Navy ships is rare and generally frowned upon within naval traditions.
