President Donald Trump has announced a bold plan for the Navy to build a new, large warship that he is calling a "battleship" as part of a larger vision to create a "Golden Fleet." "They'll be the fastest, the biggest, and by far 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built," Trump claimed during the announcement at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The ship, according to Trump, will be longer and larger than the World War II-era Iowa-class battleships and will be armed with hypersonic missiles, rail guns, and high-powered lasers - all technologies that are still being developed by the Navy.
The USS New Jersey is a battleship of superlatives. Fastest battleship ever built? Check. The ship's fastest speed was a record-setting 35.2 knots, or a little over 40 miles per hour, in 1968. Longest battleship ever built? Check. At 887 feet and 7 inches long, the USS New Jersey is almost three football fields long, and 5 feet longer than the Titanic. Most-decorated battleship in US history? Check, again. The USS New Jersey earned 19 battle stars throughout its career.