Trump to Deliver Speech on Shipbuilding, U.S. Navy's "Golden Fleet" Agile Frigate Plan Attracts Attention

U.S. President Trump is expected to deliver a speech on American shipbuilding and fleet development on Monday afternoon alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Navy Secretary John Phelan, although the White House has not revealed details. It is speculated that the speech is related to the previously announced "Golden Fleet" plan.

Previously, the U.S. Navy announced that it would build a new "agile" small surface combat ship as one of the core projects of the "Golden Fleet" (Golden Fleet) plan promoted by Trump. The goal is to strengthen the quantity and capability of small combat ships in the U.S. military, while revitalizing the long-challenged U.S. shipbuilding industry.

The U.S. Navy stated that this new frigate will be based on the current "Legend-class National Security Cutter" (NSC) used by the U.S. Coast Guard. The first ship is expected to be launched in 2028.

Navy Secretary Phelan pointed out that President Trump and the Defense Secretary have formally approved the project and incorporated it into the overall blueprint of the "Golden Fleet." He also emphasized that the new frigate will be built "intelligently from the beginning, and then gradually upgraded with evolving threats and technologies," ensuring that the vessel remains operationally flexible for many years to come.

According to the U.S. Navy, this newly named FF(X) vessel is positioned as a "smaller, more maneuverable surface combat ship," intended to complement aircraft carriers, destroyers, and other large multi-mission main vessels, enhancing the flexibility and response speed of the overall fleet during global deployments. The Navy noted that the new ship is highly adaptable, capable of carrying different payloads according to mission needs, and can command and control unmanned systems to perform patrols, escorts, and other diverse missions. It is suitable for deployment in routine operations that do not require large warships and is cost-effective.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), the largest shipbuilder in the United States, has been selected to build this ship. In a statement, HII said it has been chosen to produce the FF(X) frigate. HII's president and CEO, Chris Kastner, said: "We look forward to supporting the Navy in this key program." The U.S. Navy stated: "The introduction of FF(X) symbolizes the Navy's commitment to innovation and maritime dominance over the past 250 years."

Admiral Daryl Caudle, Chief of Naval Operations, stated in a video released in conjunction with the project that the actual number of small surface combat ships currently owned by the Navy is only about one-third of the total demand. This statement highlights the gap in the U.S. fleet structure and aligns with the Navy's cancellation of four "Constellation-class" frigate construction plans several weeks ago, indicating the challenges faced by existing shipbuilding projects in terms of schedule and cost.

The Washington Post reported that the concept of the "Golden Fleet" first emerged in October, when media disclosed that the White House and senior naval officials were assessing how to better respond to future threats. Since taking office, reviving the U.S. shipbuilding industry has been one of the top priorities in defense-related affairs for Trump, to compete with China. Bloomberg reported that China accounts for about 53% of the global shipbuilding market. According to an assessment by the U.S. think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the U.S. accounts for only 0.1% of the global shipbuilding volume.

CSIS reports show that the China State Shipbuilding Corporation built more merchant ship tonnage last year than the total shipbuilding volume of the United States since the end of World War II. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to face challenges such as a shrinking workforce, supply chain issues, and a decreasing number of shipyards.

However, the "Golden Fleet" plan has also sparked different voices within the United States. Mark Montgomery, a former rear admiral and now a senior official at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told The Wall Street Journal that the plan is something the U.S. "does not need," and pointed out that the cost of each new large warship could be at least $5 billion. He believes that if the new frigate is not equipped with vertical launch systems or Aegis combat systems, it would have "almost no tactical use," adding that these ships are not focused on actual combat needs but rather on the president's vision of what warships should look like.

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1852256577565961/

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