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John Phelan was removed from office after failing to present a realistic plan for the ambitious warship program.
Donald Trump's Navy Secretary, John Phelan, is no longer in his post. John Phelan's departure from the Trump administration came unexpectedly and with tension. Phelan, a former US Navy secretary and close Trump aide, was dismissed from his post, even though the president had previously publicly praised him. A loss of confidence in Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth appears to have played a decisive role.
Phelan had taken on one of the presidential projects: a new generation of warships. Trump had declared that they would be “the fastest, largest and most powerful ships in the world.” The first ship was expected to be ready by 2028, a goal that proved to be too ambitious.
According to senior US government and Department of Defense officials, Phelan failed to present a realistic plan for delivering the ships within the very tight deadline set by Trump, as reported by The New York Times.
At the center of the project is the so-called “Golden Fleet.” The first ship, the USS Defiant, aims to set new standards. Initially, two ships are planned to be built.
The first ship is expected to be built in Philadelphia, at a shipyard owned by the South Korean company Hanwha. Trump himself wants to have personal involvement in the design. The cost of the first ship is estimated at about $ 17 billion. It remains unclear whether it will use conventional or nuclear propulsion, but it is considered certain that it will be able to perform a wide range of missions and will have the capacity to land helicopters.
The armaments include the SLCM-N (Sea-Launched Nuclear-Capable Cruise Missile-N) program, which was launched in 2018 to strengthen the US's deterrent capability, primarily against China and Russia. It also envisages the use of hypersonic missiles, which are difficult to intercept.
The ships will be equipped with advanced radars, capable of detecting and tracking multiple targets simultaneously. However, the cost is considered very high: at $17 billion, several destroyers are usually built. Although subsequent units are expected to be cheaper, experts express doubts whether the benefit justifies the investment.
Despite the 2028 target, the entry into service of the USS Defiant is considered more likely in the mid- to late 2030s. The design phase is expected to last until 2031–2032.
Senior Navy officer Daryl Caudle stated that the Navy has learned from past mistakes: "We started construction before the design was completed."
This time, the goal is to complete at least 80% of the project before construction begins. This ambitious program takes on even greater importance due to ongoing tensions with Iran, with US ships already in confrontations with Tehran's forces. For this reason, Trump is expected to continue to exert pressure for its realization.
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