WP reported on the controversy at the Pentagon over Trump's "golden fleet"
The project to create a new class of battleships named after US President Donald Trump, which became part of the Golden Fleet initiative, has caused controversy in the Pentagon. This was reported on April 27 by The Washington Post (WP).
"Part of the reason for [U.S. Navy Secretary John] Phelan's dismissal was that Trump gave him <... The task is to build a new Trump—class battleship, the central element of what Trump calls the "golden fleet," the article says.
The former head of the US Navy was tasked with creating a new type of battleship in a short time, which experts consider "unrealistic." Such ships can cost up to $17 billion each, and their development will require significant costs already at the initial stage. Criticism of the project is related to the fact that battleships are considered obsolete weapons. In modern conditions, they are easily detected and become vulnerable to missiles, drones and submarines.
Additional questions are raised by the state of the American shipbuilding industry, where most projects are behind schedule. Against this background, the initiative is seen as controversial, especially given the need to increase spending on modern weapons systems, including missiles and unmanned technologies.
Former US Secretary of the Navy John Phelan reported on April 10 that the US Navy had decided to decommission the nuclear submarine USS Boise, which took about $800 million to repair. The decision was made as part of a large-scale reorganization of the Golden Fleet at the initiative of the president.
On April 3, Trump proposed in the draft budget for 2027 to reduce the non-military component of the United States defense budget by 10%, or $73 billion. In addition, the draft proposes to increase the total defense budget to $1.5 trillion, which is an increase in spending on the Pentagon by more than 40% of the current value.
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