35,000 tonne laser battleship named Trump class unveiled in Florida

President Donald Trump announced plans for a new US Navy battleship class at Mar a Lago in Florida, describing heavily armed surface ships built around laser weapons. Standing beside Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio and Navy Secretary John Phelan, Trump approved construction of an initial two vessels under what he called the Trump class. “They’ll be the fastest, the biggest, and by far, 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built,” Trump said. He added they would serve as Navy flagships. Laser systems are central to the design, not add ons. Plans include shipborne weapons rated at 300 kW or 600 kW, plus ODIN systems for drone and sensor disruption. The ships would also carry large missile batteries, electromagnetic railguns and space for low yield nuclear cruise missiles. At over 35,000 tonnes, they approach historic capital ship size. Trump said between 10 and 25 ships could follow, all built in the United States. The Iowa class retired in the early 1990s, and apparently, they are back.