America's 'Golden Fleet' ambition in the race against the Chinese Navy.

Since his first presidential term, Trump has aimed to strengthen the U.S. Navy fleet and increase its size to 355 large ships, while the current number is around 290.

Now, Trump has proposed a bigger idea: building a "Golden Fleet" to help the US counter its rivals, particularly China's growing naval power.

Details about the US Navy's modernization ambitions and the number of new ships to be built have yet to be released. However, according to reports, Trump has called for the development of a massive armored vessel capable of carrying a large number of missiles. This ship is said to have a higher survivability rate than current US warships, which lack adequate armor protection.

In addition, Washington also plans to build more smaller ships, such as frigates, in greater numbers and at a lower cost than the improved Arleigh Burke-class destroyers currently being built for the US Navy.

However, according to military analyst Ilya Kramnik, an expert at the Russian Council on International Relations and a researcher at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, the US Navy is currently unable to cope with the challenges it faces, let alone compete with the Chinese Navy. American politicians and naval experts have also been discussing this issue for many years.

The "Golden Fleet" ambition is being significantly impacted by U.S. shipbuilding capabilities. Issues such as outdated technology, labor shortages, and challenges from ongoing projects raise doubts about the ability to meet Trump's ambitions and support allies, such as building submarines for Australia. This means that catching up with China and the Chinese Navy has become a challenge for the U.S.

The root of the problem lies in the general decline of the American shipbuilding industry, which was once the world leader but subsequently lost market share to European competitors, and then Japan, South Korea, and now China.

The US currently holds less than 0.13% of the global commercial shipbuilding market, while China dominates 60%. Consequently, the US military shipbuilding industry is in a precarious state. Today, the volume of US commercial shipbuilding is even lower than that of Russia, marking a serious systemic crisis.

Ms. Kramnik questioned whether, under these circumstances, the US could develop a new guided missile cruiser, given that they are currently struggling to build a new frigate.