Image Courtesy: USNI

The U.S. Navy is planning a new class of nuclear-powered battleships that could become the largest and most expensive surface combatants built since World War II. A new estimate from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that a fleet of 15 Trump-class warships would cost approximately $275 billion, highlighting the enormous investment required to field the next generation of naval firepower.

The CBO estimates the first Trump-class battleship, designated BBGN, will cost about $23.4 billion to build, while later vessels are expected to average roughly $18 billion each as production becomes more efficient. The report was prepared at the request of Senator Jeff Merkley to assess the long-term budget impact of the proposed program.

If approved, the program would dramatically increase Navy spending on surface warships. Annual procurement costs are projected to rise from roughly $6.9 billion to $15.2 billion. Between 2027 and 2056, the Navy plans to acquire 72 major surface combatants, including 15 Trump-class battleships and 57 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

The proposed battleships would displace between 35,000 and 41,000 tons when fully loaded, making them significantly larger than today’s destroyers. Their size is intended to accommodate nuclear reactors, advanced cooling systems, and the massive electrical infrastructure needed to support next-generation radar, computing systems, and directed-energy weapons.

The ships are also designed to carry an extensive arsenal. Plans call for 128 Mark 41 vertical launch cells capable of firing anti-aircraft and land-attack missiles, along with four large-diameter launch tubes for Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic weapons. The CBO also noted that the Navy intends to equip the class with the nuclear-armed Sea-Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM-N).

Future upgrades could include high-energy lasers, a railgun, advanced defensive guns, interceptor missiles, decoys, and optical dazzlers designed to defeat drones and other aerial threats.

While nuclear propulsion increases construction costs compared with conventional gas turbines, it eliminates the need for refueling over the ship’s service life and provides the continuous electrical output required for advanced combat systems. The Pentagon has requested $1 billion in fiscal year 2027 to begin the program, with the first ship expected to be ordered in 2028 if funding is approved.