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This will be the USS Defiant, 'the most lethal warship to ever be built'

Armed with nuclear and hypersonic weapons plus lasers, stretching more than 250 meters and capable of over 50 km/h, a new naval colossus unveiled by Washington aims to usher in a new era of maritime supremacy.

Official illustration of the USS Defiant

Official illustration of the USS Defiantnavy.mil

Santiago Ospital
Published by
Santiago Ospital

Donald Trump announced the production of a new generation of warships: the "Trump-class battleship,"  defined by the Navy as "the most lethal warship to ever be built."

The new "class" (the term for grouping ships of similar design) will include 20 to 25 vessels in operation in the future, the president detailed. The first will be the USS Defiant, scheduled for construction in the early 2030s.

"The future Trump-class battleship, the USS Defiant, will be the largest, deadliest and most versatile and best-looking warship anywhere on the world's oceans," said Navy Secretary John Phelan. The top military official summed up the new ship's design as "offensive firepower from the biggest guns of our era."

Official illustration of the USS Defiant

Official illustration of the USS Defiantnavy.mil.

USS Defiant, in detail

Although the "Trump class" is still in the design stage, some details of what the final design will look like have been emerging. Such as that the battleships will be three times the size of the Arleigh Burke class destroyers.

The "massive frame" will accommodate a whole catalog of weapons, from cannons to laser weaponry. According to military sources, it will be the first guided-missile battleship that will have the capability to fire both nuclear and hypersonic missiles.

Its arsenal will have 80 times the range of the previous class. Other technical details include:

  • Length: 840-880 feet (256-268 meters)
  • Beam: 105-115 feet (32-35 meters)
  • Draft: 24-30 feet (7.3-9.1 meters)
  • Displacement: over 35.000 tons
  • Speed: over 30 knots (≈ 56 km/h)
  • Crew: between 650 and 850 servicemen

On the armament side, it was also learned that it will carry:

  • Main armament: nuclear-capable naval launch cruise missiles (SLCM-N); 12 CPS system cells. Vertical Launch System: 128 Mk 41 VLS cells
  • Secondary armament: One 32 MJ electromagnetic (railgun) with hypervelocity projectiles (HVP); 2 5-inch (127 mm) naval guns with HVP; 2 300 kW or 2 600 kW lasers
  • Defensive armament: Two RAM launchers; 4 30 mm guns; 4 ODIN lasers; two countermeasures systems against drones and unmanned vehicles (UxS)
USS Defiant

USS DefiantVOZ/navy.mil.

Tip of the 'Gold Fleet'

USS Defiant will serve three purposes: projecting power in patrol operations, spearheading offensive operations, defending strategic positions or assets.

It may participate in solo missions or as part of a carrier group, i.e. a naval formation in which a carrier is escorted by ships, submarines, fighters and helicopters, among others.

Beyond its specific role in theater, the USS Defiant and its class will be the focus of the Gold Fleet initiative, unveiled by Trump on Monday.

Military sources explained the Gold Fleet as a "bold investment" in the Navy to "revitalize America’s maritime industrial base." It will be 100% American made.

"American strength is back on the world stage," assured Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The secretary assured that "the announcement of the golden fleet anchored by new battleships — the biggest and most lethal ever —" will mark a generational commitment for U.S. sea power.

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