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Why It Matters
The Trump administration’s plan to build 15 nuclear-powered battleships represents a historic expansion of U.S. naval firepower—and a significant commitment of federal resources at a moment when defense budgets face scrutiny. The proposed fleet would fundamentally reshape American surface-combat capability, but the Congressional Budget Office has raised substantial questions about whether the nation’s shipbuilding infrastructure can deliver the vessels on schedule and within projected costs.
What Happened
The Navy announced in December its intention to construct a new class of nuclear-powered surface combatants designated the “Trump-class” battleships. The plan calls for acquiring 15 vessels between 2028 and 2056, with assembly designated to Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. Each ship will displace 35,000 tons—more than 3.5 times larger than the Navy’s current Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers—and carry nuclear-tipped cruise missiles.
In May, the Navy released its 2027 shipbuilding plan, which included detailed cost projections. The first battleship carries an estimated price tag of $23.4 billion, with subsequent vessels pegged at $18 billion each. The total program cost reaches approximately $275 billion over nearly three decades.
The Congressional Budget Office examined the plan’s feasibility and identified major obstacles. The two primary U.S. shipyards responsible for surface combatants—Bath Iron Works in Maine and Ingalls Shipbuilding in Mississippi—currently lack the capacity to build nuclear-powered vessels. That limitation narrows production options and raises questions about the timeline.
By the Numbers
- $275 billion total program cost for 15 battleships
- $23.4 billion estimated cost for the first vessel; $18 billion per ship thereafter
- 35,000 tons displacement per battleship
- $18 billion Navy surface combatant procurement budget for 2027, up from $11 billion in 2025
- 5 years average delivery delay for Arleigh Burke-class destroyers
- 2035 target year for the Navy to double its large surface-combatant tonnage
Capacity and Cost Concerns
Historical precedent suggests serious cost and schedule risks. The USS Gerald R. Ford, commissioned in 2017, ultimately cost $13.3 billion—below the new battleships’ projected per-unit expense but still significantly above early estimates. Newer Ford-class carriers are expected to cost around $22 billion each. Columbia-class ballistic-missile submarines, by comparison, run $10 billion per vessel.
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers have experienced an average five-year delivery delay. The best-performing Navy shipbuilding programs, as of 2025, still carried a six-month schedule slip and 57 percent budget overrun. Neither outcome bodes well for a multi-decade battleship acquisition plan requiring sustained congressional funding and industrial capacity.
The original cost estimates for a conventionally powered variant—$15.1 billion for the first ship and $10.2 billion for the second and third—were ultimately abandoned in favor of the nuclear-powered design. That decision added substantial cost but aligns with the administration’s emphasis on advanced military capability.
Strategic Questions
Retired Admiral James Stavridis, a former NATO commander, has questioned the strategic logic of concentrating so much military capability in single vessels. “Does it make sense to put so much expensive weaponry and so many sailors on a single, potentially vulnerable platform?” he asked, according to reporting on the Navy’s shipbuilding announcement, as first reported by the Local News 8. The concern reflects a longstanding debate about whether large, costly warships represent efficient use of defense resources in an era of evolving threats.
The battleship class is far larger than anything the Navy has constructed since the Cold War. The dramatic expansion in surface-combatant tonnage—projected to double by 2035—signals a strategic pivot toward high-intensity peer competition and surface-warfare capability.
What’s Next
Congress must authorize and appropriate funds for the battleship program over multiple years. The Navy’s 2027 budget request will likely include initial development funding. Newport News Shipbuilding will need to expand its nuclear-construction capability, a process that will take years and require substantial investment. The first battleship is slated for acquisition in 2028, but historical delays suggest that timeline faces risk.
As the administration pursues major diplomatic initiatives—including potential agreements on strategic waterways—the scale and capability of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet will remain central to American deterrence strategy and power projection.
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