President Trump on Monday announced plans for a new “Trump class” of battleships, marking the start of an expanded naval buildup and signaling increased scrutiny of defense contractors for production delays and cost overruns.
The announcement represents the latest example of the president renaming an aspect of the federal government in his image. Trump – who has criticized the appearance of US warships in the past – will be personally involved in the plans.
He said the ships would weigh more than 30,000 tons, larger than today’s destroyers, and would be equipped with the latest technology, including artificial intelligence and directed energy lasers.
“We haven’t built a battleship since 1994. These state-of-the-art ships are going to be some of the most lethal surface warfare vessels … other than our submarines,” Trump said.
Some US officials have warned that the failure to build new battleships in recent years has given an advantage to economic and military rival China. Trump downplayed China’s influence in the decision, saying the expansion was “one against everyone.”
He said the naval expansion would also be combined with renewed pressure on defense contractors to speed up production and cut costs. He said he would meet with major defense companies next week to address delays and overruns and examine whether executive compensation, share buybacks and dividends are contributing to missed production targets.
“We don’t want to have executives making $50 million a year, giving big dividends to everybody and also doing acquisitions” while production of F-35s and other jets falters, Trump said.
Reuters reported last week that the administration was planning an executive order to limit dividends, buybacks and executive pay for defense contractors whose projects are running over budget and behind schedule.
Trump and the Pentagon complain about the expensive, slow and entrenched nature of the defense industry, promising dramatic changes that would make the production of military equipment more agile.
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