The American president has claimed the new fleet will be "100 times more powerful" than any ever built

US President Donald Trump has announced plans to introduce a new class of battleships for the US Navy's 'Golden Fleet', calling them the biggest and most powerful ever built.

Speaking Monday from Mar-a-Lago during what the White House called a "major announcement," Trump said he approved two ships to start, with plans for up to 25. He was joined by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan.

Larger than WWII-era Iowa-class ships, these 'Trump-class' vessels will carry hypersonic missiles, rail guns, and lasers, according to Trump. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the president's plans, wrote that the US Navy plans to procure the first ship in 2030.

"As you know, we're desperately in need of ships," Trump said. "They'll be the fastest, the biggest, and by far, 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built." 

The plan is part of a wider naval expansion with both manned and unmanned ships.

Officials have warned that the US trails China in shipbuilding capacity and output. When asked whether the new warships were intended as a counter to America's chief rival, Trump declined to single out Beijing. "It's a counter to everybody," he said.

The announcement comes as Washington's operations in the Caribbean have ramped up, with the US Coast Guard targeting oil tankers linked to Venezuela. 

Since September, US Navy ships have been deployed to intercept vessels that the White House claims were involved in drug trafficking and to block oil shipments. Caracas denies the claims and has accused Washington of seeking regime change to access its resources.

The US Navy has also been active in the Red Sea, where it has responded to attacks on commercial shipping linked to regional conflicts.

Last week another new set of vessels, based on the US Coast Guard's Legend-class National Security Cutter, were announced by the US Navy.

"Recent operations from the Red Sea to the Caribbean make the requirement undeniable - our small surface combatant inventory is a third of what we have," Chief of Naval Operations Daryl Caudle said. "We need more capable blue water small combatants to close the gap and keep our [destroyers] focused on the high-end fight," he added.

The US Navy recently canceled a smaller warship project due to delays and cost overruns and continues to face challenges with its Ford-class carriers and Columbia-class submarines.