Phelan recently suggested to #Trump that the #Navy might have to rely on European shipyards to deliver the #battleships on the ambitious timeline Trump was demanding, senior #military & administration officials said.

Trump rejected the suggestion.

In his December news conference, announcing the battleships, Trump had vowed that the vessels—“the largest battleship in the history of the world ever built”—would be made in the US with US steel.

#kakistocracy #GovernmentSpending #narcissism

In #Trump’s [delusional] imagination the new warship would be massive, weighing as much as 40,000 tons, & would be packed with new high-tech weapons, like lasers, hypersonic missiles & electric rail guns, most of which are still in development & years from being deployed.

In recent weeks, it had become clear to Phelan that the #Navy & the #US shipbuilding industry did not have the ability to deliver on Trump’s vision.

#MilitaryReadiness #kakistocracy #GovernmentSpending #narcissism

“The ship’s purported characteristics are so extraordinary that the announcement will surely spark immense discussion,” wrote Mark F. Cancian, an expert on #military budgeting with CSIS. “However, there is little need for said discussion because this ship will never sail.”

The ship would take “years to design,” Cancian noted. “A future administration will cancel the program before the first ship hits the water.”

#MilitaryReadiness #Trump #kakistocracy #Navy #GovernmentSpending #narcissism

…Before the #Navy settled on its plans for the Trump-class #battleship, Phelan wooed #Trump to the idea by showing oil paintings of some of the service’s great battleships from earlier eras, #defense officials said.

In its $1.5 trillion defense budget, released earlier this week, the Trump admin is asking for $65.8 billion for shipbuilding, the second-largest shipbuilding budget proposal since 1955, according to Congressional Budget Office data.

#kakistocracy #GovernmentSpending #narcissism

For #Trump, the ships recalled “Victory at Sea,” a documentary television series that ran in the 1950s & touted the role that #battleships & other #Navy vessels played in WWII.

“Did you ever see ‘Victory at Sea?’ ” he mused to reporters in January when talking about the new battleships. “What a great thing that is to watch!”

Phelan played a prominent role in selling Trump on the new ships & his ambitious plans for revitalizing the US Navy’s fleet & the US shipbuilding industry.

#kakistocracy

Presidents rarely pay close attention to military procurement, but #Trump has spoken repeatedly about his plans for a new “Trump-class” #battleship. In a February speech to soldiers at Fort Bragg, NC, Trump insisted that he had helped design the new class of ships that bear his name.

“I put a little more spirit in the hull,” Trump told the troops. “I want that ship to look gorgeous, you know.”

#MilitaryReadiness #kakistocracy #Navy #GovernmentSpending #narcissism