CBO estimates Trump-class battleship program to cost $275 billion
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The Congressional Budget Office estimated Wednesday that the Navy’s Trump-class nuclear battleship program would cost $275 billion over its lifetime, with the first ship costing $23.4 billion. The program, unveiled by the Trump administration in December, would build 15 heavily-armed ships between 2028 and 2056. The projected costs surpass those of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier, even as the Government Accountability Office warns of persistent shipbuilding inefficiencies.
Program Cost
The CBO report estimates total program cost at $275 billion. The lead ship, BBG(X), is projected at $23.4 billion, with 14 follow-on vessels at $18 billion each. By comparison, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford cost $13.3 billion. The Navy plans to build one battleship every other year from 2028 through 2056, alongside two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers annually.
Vessel Specifications
The Trump-class design displaces 35,000 tons, making it the largest surface combatant built for the Navy since World War II. It would carry anti-air, land-attack, and anti-ship missiles, hypersonic weapons, nuclear cruise missiles, lasers, and a rail gun. CBO notes the ship would be over three times the size of a DDG-51 destroyer and more than twice the size of a Zumwalt-class destroyer.
Shipbuilding Constraints
The CBO warns that meeting the schedule would require a 60 percent increase in large surface combatant tonnage by 2058. Starting in 2035, shipyards would need to produce 12 percent greater tonnage than under previous plans. A March GAO report found that U.S. shipbuilding has suffered from cost overruns, delays up to three years, and underperforming vessels. Shelby Oakley of the GAO described the industry as operating in a 'perpetual state of triage.'
What's Next
The Navy’s shipbuilding plan faces scrutiny in Congress, where lawmakers must weigh the $275 billion price tag against other defense priorities. It remains unclear whether the industrial base can expand capacity quickly enough to meet the ambitious 2028 start date.
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CBO estimates Trump-class battleship program to cost $275 billion
