Most expensive surface warship programme? US Navy’s Trump-class battleship could cost $275 billion
The US Navy’s proposed Trump-class nuclear-powered guided missile battleship programme could become one of the most expensive surface warship projects in American history, with a planned fleet of 15 vessels estimated to cost $275 billion over nearly three decades, according to a new report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).The independent budget watchdog estimates the programme will cost about $275 billion in 2026 dollars between 2028 and 2056. It projects the lead ship will cost $23.4 billion, while each of the remaining 14 battleships is expected to cost around $18 billion, making the Trump-class among the costliest surface combatant programmes ever proposed by the US Navy.US President Donald Trump announced the Trump-class battleship programme on December 22, 2025, describing it as the most heavily armed surface combatant ever envisioned by the Navy. The proposed warship is intended to carry anti-air, anti-ship and land-attack missiles, hypersonic weapons, nuclear-armed cruise missiles, high-energy lasers and a railgun.According to the CBO, the Trump-class would displace around 35,000 tonnes, making it the largest surface combatant built for the US Navy since World War II. The battleship is expected to measure between 840 and 880 feet in length, sustain speeds exceeding 30 knots, and be powered by a nuclear propulsion system.The proposed vessel would carry a formidable weapons suite, including 128 Mark 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells, 12 Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missiles, high-energy lasers, a railgun and the Sea-Launched Cruise Missile-Nuclear (SLCM-N). According to the report, this combination would provide greater firepower than any current US surface combatant while enhancing air defence, land attack and anti-ship capabilities.The CBO said the programme’s high cost is driven primarily by the ship’s unprecedented size, nuclear propulsion and advanced weapons systems. It estimated that a conventionally powered version of the same design would cost around $243 billion for 15 ships. Adopting nuclear propulsion alone increases the projected procurement cost to about $275 billion, or roughly 13 per cent higher.The report also cautioned that the programme could place significant strain on the US shipbuilding industry.According to the CBO, the Navy would need to more than double production of large surface combatants by 2035 to meet its planned schedule, a target that existing shipyards may struggle to achieve.The report noted that the US is already experiencing delays in constructing destroyers, submarines and aircraft carriers. It added that Newport News Shipbuilding is currently the only US shipyard certified to build new nuclear-powered surface warships, raising concerns that the Trump-class programme could further stretch the country’s shipbuilding capacity.
