Trump announces next-gen US Navy battleships armed with lasers and nukes

Trump emphasized that the new battleships will be the fastest, the biggest, and hundreds of times more powerful than any battleship ever built.

He also said they would be among the deadliest surface warfare ships, becoming the largest combat vessels not only in US history but in the world.

According to the US president, the current plan calls for building two battleships, but their number could eventually be increased to 10 and later to 20–25 vessels.

“We’re talking about 10, but we’re going to start with two, and we’re going to quickly morph into 10. And ultimately, we think it's going to be anywhere from 20 to 25 of these,” Trump said.

He also stated that the new battleships are expected to be equipped with the most advanced weapons systems, including artillery, missiles, hypersonic systems, electromagnetic railguns, and next‑generation combat lasers.

In addition, Trump said the ships will serve as platforms for sea‑based nuclear cruise missiles that are currently under development and, as he put it, will be brought into service fairly quickly.

US and the 'arms race'

The Pentagon recently reported that China has likely deployed over 100 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in new silos near Mongolia.

According to the US military, these ICBMs are solid-fueled and part of a new series of silo-based complexes. Previously, the Pentagon had only confirmed the existence of these sites without specifying the number of missiles.

This draft Pentagon report comes amid the impending expiration of the New START treaty between the US and Russia, which limits the number of strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems. Experts warn that the treaty’s expiration could trigger a three-way nuclear arms race involving the US, Russia, and China.

On December 12, Donald Trump officially stated that the US, Russia, and China are interested in the denuclearization of nuclear weapons.