Palm Beach, Florida - President Donald Trump on Monday announced a new class of heavily armed warships that will be named after himself – an honor usually reserved for leaders who have left office.

Two of the so-called "Trump-class" ships will be built initially, but that number could grow substantially, according to the Republican, who said they will be "some of the most lethal surface warfare ships" and "the largest battleship in the history of our country."

Trump made the announcement at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida alongside Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Navy Secretary John Phelan, with mock-ups of the planned vessels on stands nearby.

Asked if the planned warships are a counter to China, Trump declined to specify, instead saying: "It's a counter to everybody, it's not China. We get along great with China."

He said the ships will weigh between 30,000 and 40,000 tons and will be armed with missiles and guns as well as weaponry still in development, such as lasers and hypersonic missiles.

They will also be capable of carrying atomic weapons in the form of the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile, Trump said.

The 79-year-old – who has complained in the past about the appearance of US ships – said he would be involved in the design along with the Navy "because I'm a very aesthetic person."

Trump's announcement came just days after the Navy announced a new class of frigates planned for 2028 dubbed the FF(X) that it said will "complement the fleet's larger, multi-mission warships."

Navy Secretary Phelan had said in late November that four of six planned ships from the Constellation class of frigates would be canceled, while two that are already under construction are "under review."