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US Trump‑class nuclear battleship program

Updated 2 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-08-07 05:26 UTC → 2026-08-07 08:27 UTC · added removed

In early August 2026 the Congressional Budget Office estimated that a fleet of 15 nuclear‑powered released its estimate confirming earlier projections: the 15‑ship Trump‑class battleships would fleet will cost about roughly $275 billion, with the lead ship USS Defiant projected at $23.4 billion and the remaining vessels averaging $18 billion each. The program, first announced by former President Donald Trump in December 2025 as part of a “Golden Fleet” initiative, calls for the first order 35,000‑ton ships will be armed with hypersonic missiles, rail‑guns, high‑energy lasers and nuclear‑armed cruise missiles. Construction is slated to begin in fiscal year 2028, a $1 billion early‑procurement allocation for 2027, and construction through 2056 with a new hull launched roughly about every two years. The ships are to carry hypersonic missiles, rail‑guns, lasers and nuclear‑armed cruise missiles, and are framed as a counter to China’s expanding naval capabilities. Lawmakers, including Senator Jeff Merkley, have criticized the high cost and questioned domestic priorities. Analysts note that only years through 2056. Only Newport News Shipbuilding and General Dynamics Electric Boat have the capacity to build the required nuclear‑propulsion vessels, systems, raising concerns about schedule delays and potential possible cost overruns. Critics, including Senator Jeff Merkley, continue to label the program wasteful. The authorization also mentioned Navy has noted that expanding the order fleet to 25 vessels ships could raise the push total budget to costs above $455 billion, keeping the affordability debate active.

Versions

  1. 2026-08-07 08:27 UTC US Trump‑class nuclear battleship program
  2. 2026-08-07 05:26 UTC US Trump‑class nuclear battleship program
  3. 2026-08-07 05:06 UTC US Trump‑class nuclear battleship program

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