News - World: The Wall Street Journal has revealed that Donald Trump is moving forward with a major military initiative dubbed the “Golden Fleet”, aimed at modernizing the United States Navy and developing a new generation of advanced warships capable of addressing the rising maritime challenges across global waters.

According to the report, the project is being launched in response to what US naval officials have described as the deteriorating state of the American fleet, plagued by aging vessels and deep structural issues.

US Navy Secretary John Phelan reportedly told a Senate hearing that he had resorted to texting Trump at midnight, complaining about “rusting ships” and their declining combat readiness—a reflection of the crisis of confidence within the US Navy’s leadership.

Citing a retired naval officer, the Journal noted that recent assessments revealed the US fleet’s inability to cope with modern maritime threats, especially in light of Yemeni Armed Forces’ naval operations in the Red Sea in support of Gaza. Those operations, according to the source, exposed vulnerabilities in US warship defenses and outdated onboard technologies.

The Golden Fleet project reportedly envisions the production of more agile, AI-integrated vessels equipped with hybrid defense systems and space-based monitoring capabilities, as part of an effort to restore US maritime supremacy that has eroded over the past decade.

Observers say the initiative aligns with Trump’s broader military rearmament vision, which seeks to rebuild US power projection amid intensifying strategic rivalries with China and Russia, and growing security challenges in critical waterways such as the Red Sea, the South China Sea, and the Arabian Gulf.

The US Navy, long regarded as the backbone of American global dominance, has faced mounting criticism in recent years over maintenance backlogs, operational fatigue, and declining morale.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s Red Sea operations—which have disrupted Israeli and Western maritime routes—have underscored a strategic shift in regional power, forcing Washington to reassess its naval posture and deterrence capabilities.

Analysts suggest that Trump’s Golden Fleet plan is not only a technical modernization effort, but also a political statement intended to project strength ahead of renewed geopolitical contests in the world’s key maritime theaters.