According to an announcement earlier this week, the Trump administration's revamp of the U.S. Navy will feature a new battleship class, part of the so-called "Golden Fleet.”
The announcement, made by President Donald Trump, War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Naval Secretary John Phelan at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence, was reportedly for the largest surface combatant the United States has undertaken since World War II.
During the announcement, Trump mentioned the World War II-era ships, including the USS Alabama.
"[A]s commander-in-chief, it's my great honor to announce that I have approved a plan for the Navy to begin the construction of two brand new, very large — the largest we've ever built — battleships," Trump said. "You used to build the Iowa, the Missouri, the Wisconsin, the Alabama and many others. We had big battleships; these are bigger. But they will have 100 times the force, the power and there's never been anything like these ships. These have been under design consideration for a long time. And it started with me in my first term because I said why aren't we doing battleships like we used to? And these are the best in the world."
He continued, "They'll be the fastest, the biggest and by far — 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built. So, if you look at the Iowa, the Missouri, Wisconsin, Alabama and others, but they were similar in size, some a little bit bigger than the others. But if you take the biggest one, it's 100 times more powerful. They're longer by a little bit, but the -- and they're bigger, they're bigger ships, but they hold much more. They use the word lethality. Battleships are the largest, sturdiest and most heavily armed vessels built specifically for naval combat."
Trump said the Navy will start the process with two ships, with a short-term goal of having 10. He added that the long-term goal was 20-25, with construction planned for 2030.
Since 1964, the USS Alabama has been berthed near downtown Mobile. It serves as a World War II memorial and attracts more than 300,000 visitors annually.
Jeff Poor is the editor-in-chief of 1819 News and host of "The Jeff Poor Show," heard Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon on Mobile's FM Talk 106.5. To connect or comment, email [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @jeff_poor.
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