The US Navy announced plans to build a new class of warship as part of President Donald Trump’s “Golden Fleet” bid to revive US shipbuilding and address shortfalls in smaller ships exposed by recent military operations around the world.
Navy Secretary John Phelan announced the plan — which would aim to have the first boat ready by 2028 — in a video posted on X. He said the goal would be building the ship “smart from the start, then upgrading it in steps over time, as the threat and technology evolve.”
The ship, dubbed the FF(X), will be built by Newport News, Virginia-based HII, whose Legend-class cutter will serve as the basis for the new vessel. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said in a post on X that the Navy’s small surface combatant fleet is one-third of what the service needs.
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Trump is set to make a shipbuilding announcement alongside Phelan and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later on Monday, according to a White House official, who declined to provide additional details.
Reviving US shipbuilding has been one of the Trump administration’s top defense-related priorities, with Hegseth saying contractors need to speed up development of new weapons systems or lose government contracts. Last month, the Navy announced it was cutting back orders of a new class of guided-missile frigate, the Constellation class, because of cost overruns and delays.
In an address to Congress in March, Trump announced he was creating a new Office of Shipbuilding, with plans for tax incentives to lure industry leaders back to the US.
“We used to make so many ships,” Trump said. “We don’t make them anymore very much, but we’re going to make them very fast very soon.”
Trump’s Golden Fleet program is aimed at restoring domestic shipbuilding as it seeks to compete against China, where roughly 53% of global shipbuilding takes place. The US builds just 0.1% of the world’s ships, according to a recent Center for Strategic and International Studies assessment.
According to the Washington-based think tank’s report, China State Shipbuilding Corporation built more commercial ships by tonnage last year than the US industry since the end of World War II. The US continues to struggle with a shrinking workforce, supply chain issues and fewer yards.
“Recent operations from the Red Sea to the Caribbean make the requirement undeniable,” Caudle said.
Using all American workers and parts, the Navy will first build the frigates, then hold a competition to expand construction to multiple yards.
