For a dude obsessed with getting a Nobel Peace Prize demanding a new class of WAR ship not only being created but being named after himself doesn’t strike me as a winning ploy. But as we know Trump is on a renaming things after himself streak and I confess I’m surprised he hasn’t already renamed a U.S. Navy warship after himself. You just KNOW he’s thought about renaming DDG-56, better known as the USS John McCain after himself. Then again the McCain is a “mere destroyer” and nowhere near grand enough for the likes of Trump. Trump is also not a fan of aircraft carriers. He thinks Battleship are cool but there’s not much use for them in modern naval warfare. So by golly a whole (sort of) kind of ship will be created and the entire class will be named after HIM.
I can’t say I’m surprised Trump, who makes it clear HE knows not only more than all the Generals combined what’s what but all the Admirals too wants to put not just his imprint on a new class of surface ships, but his freaking name too. As the Wall Street Journal reports Trump tells us we’ll have a whole new “Trump Class” of what he calls Battleships that will be the centerpiece of a new “Golden Fleet.” (He’ll probably whine about U.S. Navy ships not being painted gold, or at least having (fake) gold fixtures or at least the lettering identifying the ship in gold instead of white. Oh, Trump did mention there will be a new class of aircraft carriers too but no details about them. Maybe in “two weeks?”
But for Trump good ole Battleships are the be-all end-all. They are as noted ‘cool’ as I said. Plus, he likes the look of them better. Trump, according to the WSJ doesn’t like the aesthetic of our warships. WTF? They aren’t pretty enough? They aren’t built to sail into harm’s way and impress an enemy with how beautiful they are. Their job is to destroy enemy ships and other targets. They have to operate both offensively and defensively and they are bigly expensive. Any beauty a warship might have should be (and has been) purely accidental. The only impression a warship should make from those just looking at is is intimidation!
Trump however wants them to also look ‘cool’ and that’s a huge waste of money. It also would almost certainly detract from a ship’s ability to fight, and to defend itself and other ships. Well, the Navy has already been at work designing something larger (and therefore with more weapons and delivery systems and new capabilities. The linked article has a rendering of the USS Defiant which (for now) is supposed to be the first ship in the new class that the Navy is developing and Trump claims is ready for production. Which isn’t the case:
The ship draws on work already done by the Navy and ship makers to build a new destroyer, which is in the early stages of development, according to an industry official.
Take note of that part about early stages of development. Trump doesn’t know jack-sh*t about this stuff nor does his sidekick Hegseth. Yes, Hegseth at least served in a combat zone but not out “ass-in-the grass” (or in this case sand) leading an infantry platoon. No, while he went into the field and was in enough situations where bullets being fired back and forth to get a Combat Infantry designation he was a civil affairs officer. And later did training work. Bu he didn’t spend any time on ships. I’d love to be a fly on the wall as Trump tells those designing the new class of ships what HE thinks they should be!
The thing is, their are genuine concerns from people who do actually know about this stuff that what Trump (and Hegseth) want isn’t what’s needed:
Mark Montgomery, a former rear admiral who is senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, criticized the Golden Fleet plan as “exactly what we don’t need,” and noted that each new battleship will cost at least $5 billion.
“We do not need ships that are not optimized to provide lethality against the Chinese threat,” Montgomery said, adding that the new frigate has “zero tactical use” because it won’t be equipped with a vertical launch system or the Aegis ballistic defense system.
“That is not what these are focused on—they are focused on the president’s visual that a battleship is a cool-looking ship,” he said.
It’s not like the old school battleships weren’t impressive or useful and have had iconic moments. For me the most memorable was the Missouri in Tokyo Harbor as it hosted the signing of the PEACE documents ending WWII. The images of McCarthur (signing for the Allied Powers) and other world leaders, contrasted with ordinary sailors squeezing into anyplace (including from the barrels of those sixteen inch guns will be iconic forever. However, while those huge battleships played a role back then early in that war the aircraft carrier took over the role of the dominant type of ship that would settle things.
Battleships hung on for a while. Certainly the New Jersey continued to make a name for herself into modern times. However their huge size, and their purpose being to hurl those enormous shells over twenty miles from those sixteen inch guns over twenty miles can’t dominate things for a thousand kilometer circle the way aircraft carriers can. An old school battleship can’t even control things anywhere near the combat radius an Arleigh Burke Class destroyer (like the McCain) can.
Is something larger and more lethal needed, especially with China growing ever more powerful in the Pacific? Sure. However the old school battleship isn’t the answer. These days, while a turret that can fire those 2000lb shells from sixteen inch guns could come in handy different weapons are needed. Guides missiles of various sizes. And missiles and specialized small guns for defense of both the ship and other ships in the combat radius. The Navy has been working on that. Trump needs to stay the hell out of it and let professionals do their jobs.
One last thought. It’s not like the Navy has always gotten it right with a new class of ships but usually they have done pretty well. At the moment however we have just had a new and different plan for our national defense drafted. There are serious concerns about it because of how much it would change priorities and strategies. Given the cost of designing a whole new type of warship, one likely to be 30-40 tons and have new weapons and systems don’t you think it would be wise to let THAT get sorted out first? I sure do.
For damned sure I believe Trump needs to stay the hell out of all this. Also, Congress should be putting some tough questions to the administration about the massive change to our national defense strategy. That doesn’t mean the Navy should stop working on a new class of ships, but they SHOULD be cautious about committing the resources to a couple dozen or more very expensive ships for a brand new class of ship that will be the new centerpiece of our Naval strategy.
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“…However, while those huge battleships played a role back then early in that war the aircraft carrier took over the role of the dominant type of ship that would settle things. …”
Sort of. Look up Billy Mitchell. He was a US aviator who insisted on getting his superiors to set up a demonstration of how aircraft could sink ships. They finally did allow it, and he was successful. To the chagrin of many of those superiors, who, of course, promptly court-martialed him – for being right!
Remember, also, Pearl Harbor. Many American battleships were sunk by Japanese aircraft, which had arrived from Japan at Hawaii in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, via GASP!!! aircraft carriers!!!
Battleships during WWII essentially became “escort” ships for the carriers.
They are now essentially useless as Dennis explains.
Useless idea and tRump…how unique. /s
Saw this and thought I’d add it to the discussion. Just wish I’d seen it this morning instead of on my FB feed this evening. I think the USS Bonespurs would have made a helluva title pic!
uss bonespurs