【By Observer Net, Xiong Chaoran】Former US President Trump once stated that he hoped to form a brand-new fleet of warships. Similar to the previous "Golden Dome" missile defense system and the "Golden Card" immigration plan, this fleet now has a name. Navy officials have named it the "Golden Fleet".

According to a独家 report by the Wall Street Journal on October 24th, according to statements from former and current officials, White House and senior US Navy officials are conducting preliminary discussions to replace the current fleet of warships with a new "Golden Fleet", claiming that "this will be more effective in dealing with China and other potential future threats".

In late September, Trump complained that modern warships looked "ugly", and proposed considering the idea of reactivating US Navy battleships (battleship). Multiple former and current officials revealed that Trump participated in the planning of the "Golden Fleet" and frequently communicated with navy officials about the new ships.

知情人士称，这支新舰队的舰艇将配备更强大的远程导弹，同时还包括如护卫舰、轻型护卫舰等小型舰艇。目前，美国海军拥有287艘舰艇，主要包括驱逐舰、巡洋舰、航空母舰、两栖舰艇和潜艇。此外，另有一款新型护卫舰也在筹备中。

US Navy Iowa-class battleship USS Iowa BB-61 Wikipedia

The officials quoted by the Wall Street Journal said that specifically, the White House and Pentagon are currently in preliminary talks on building a next-generation armored ship, which could displace between 15,000 to 20,000 tons, equipped with more and more powerful weapons, and may even be armed with hypersonic missiles, whose weapon-carrying capacity would exceed that of existing destroyers and cruisers.

"We built battleships during World War II to gain longer-range guns," said Bryan Clark, a senior researcher at the Hudson Institute and a retired US Navy officer, who participated in the discussion: "I think what we're saying now is that in the missile age, we need longer-range weapons - those large missiles. So the future 'battleship' will be a vessel capable of carrying ultra-long-range missiles."

The report suggests that this move marks Trump's latest action in the field of shipbuilding. During his first term in office, Trump had called for aircraft carriers to use steam catapults to launch fighters again, and publicly expressed his dislike for the appearance of US destroyers, comparing them to naval vessels of competitors. In addition, Trump also mentioned that he had suggested modifying the design of the Constellation-class frigates.

The Wall Street Journal's exclusive report mentioned that experts actually have differences on whether it is necessary to build super-large warships to "counter China", but they generally believe that long-range missiles are key for the US to maintain its advantage in the Pacific region.

The report states that China is rapidly building and upgrading its naval vessels, and the US military believes that only those with the capability of long-range missiles can break through China's strong air defense system.

In late September, US Defense Secretary Esper convened senior US officers around the world in Quantico, Virginia. On the morning of September 30th local time, President Trump delivered a speech to hundreds of US military officials at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia.

Actually, at that time, Trump had already hinted at these plans.

"We are considering the concept of 'battleships'. Beautiful six-inch (about 152 mm) sides, made of solid steel, not aluminum, not that kind of aluminum that melts when hit by a missile, which starts melting about two miles (about three kilometers) away from the missile," Trump said.

Trump clearly stated that these "complaints" had nothing to do with efficiency or safety issues. "I am very aesthetic, from an aesthetic point of view, I don't like some of the ships you built," the president boasted: "They said, 'Oh, it's stealthy,' but that's not stealthy, a ship that looks ugly doesn't need to be called stealthy."

On September 30, 2025, US President Trump delivered a speech to senior military commanders at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia. Visual China

The US media Business Insider pointed out that in the past, fully armed battleships were once the core of maritime power, designed for direct confrontation with other warships. During the world wars, they dominated the seas, but their position was later taken over by aircraft carriers.

Those heavily armored ships with powerful cannons on their decks were the peak of maritime power for most of the twentieth century, as naval warfare was mainly based on gunfights. Each 16-inch (about 406 mm) cannon on a battleship could fire shells weighing about 2000 pounds (about 900 kg), bringing massive firepower to the battlefield.

In the early 1990s, the last US battleship was decommissioned, marking the end of an era. The last time battleships actually fired was during the Gulf War. Now, not only have battleships been retired for decades, but the type of naval warfare they represented has also become history.

Now, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said that Trump has done more than anyone else in strengthening America's maritime superiority - including ensuring $4.3 billion in investment through the "Working Families Tax Cut", establishing a White House shipbuilding office, and historically reaching an agreement with Finland to build 11 new Arctic icebreakers.

The Wall Street Journal noted that while experts generally praised Trump's focus on the navy, they also pointed out that reviving the American shipbuilding industry requires more than just a new name like the "Golden Fleet". They urged the Trump administration to provide continuous funding for the modernization of shipyards and to address the current backlog of ship repairs.

The US magazine The New Republic (TNR) said that the US Navy has always been a thorny issue for Trump, because the institution is always behind schedule and overspending, which contradicts his pursuit of efficiency.

As early as Trump's first term, he proposed the "355 Ship Navy Plan". At that time, the US Defense News pointed out that the US Navy was undertaking the largest expansion plan since the 1980s, aiming to match Trump's target of 350 naval vessels.

However, from the current situation, this plan basically failed, as the Biden administration abandoned the goal after Trump's first term ended.

This article is an exclusive article from Observer Net. Without permission, it cannot be reprinted.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7565019098321519140/

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