Trump-Class Battleship Projected to Exceed USD17B Each
The ambitious warship program was unveiled in December as a centerpiece of the US administration's Golden Fleet initiative — a sweeping naval modernization agenda.
Former US Navy Secretary John Phelan, who departed the role just last week, sought to temper the figures, characterizing them to reporters as an "early, initial estimate" while speaking on the sidelines of the Sea-Air-Space conference in Maryland.
"We'll see where we really settle down, as we get through that and start to rationalize some of the costs," he said.
The staggering projected costs arrive as the US Navy already grapples with serious strain on its shipbuilding and fleet maintenance capacity. The report highlighted the USS Boise as a cautionary example — a vessel that sat docked for nearly a decade before ultimately being scrapped rather than repaired.
Phelan acknowledged the industrial challenge posed by the program. "We are looking at a couple of different ways to relieve some of the pressure that might (be) put on the industrial base," he said. "I think we have to still define that a little bit more."
Key technical decisions remain unresolved. The Navy has yet to determine whether the battleship will be nuclear-powered, according to the report. Early design specifications, however, paint an imposing picture: a heavily armed platform outfitted with laser turrets, a railgun, and the capacity to carry both hypersonic and nuclear weapons, crewed by a minimum of 650 sailors.
Construction is currently slated to begin in 2028.
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