The US Navy’s planned fleet of nuclear-powered guided missile battleships could cost about $275 billion through 2056, according to a new assessment by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which warned that the ambitious program would place significant demands on the US shipbuilding industrial base.
The estimate covers the construction of 15 new BBGN-class battleships under the Navy’s fiscal year 2027 shipbuilding plan, known as the Golden Fleet plan. The first ship, expected to be ordered in 2028, would cost approximately $23.4 billion, while follow-on vessels would average about $18 billion each, CBO said.
The US Navy’s plan represents a major expansion of large surface combatant production, with the service shifting toward larger and more heavily armed warships designed to carry advanced missile systems, directed-energy weapons, and future technologies.
The Navy initially evaluated a conventionally powered version of the new battleship, with earlier estimates placing the lead ship’s cost at about $15.1 billion. However, the decision to pursue a nuclear-powered configuration significantly increased projected acquisition costs.
CBO estimates that a nuclear-powered BBGN fleet would cost about 13% more than an equivalent conventionally powered force, which would have an estimated total procurement cost of approximately $243 billion.
While nuclear propulsion would increase construction costs, it could reduce operating expenses over the ship’s service life by eliminating the need for fuel purchases. CBO noted that it could not estimate those potential savings because they would depend on the final ship design and propulsion requirements.
Trump-class battleships
The planned Trump-class guided missile battleship would be among the largest surface combatants ever built by the US Navy. The ship is expected to have a full-load displacement of at least 35,000 tons, a length of approximately 840 to 880 feet, and a sustained speed exceeding 30 knots. If built to those specifications, it would surpass the size of every US Navy surface combatant constructed since World War II.
The lead ship, BBGN-1 Defiant, would be more than three times larger than an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer and more than twice the size of the Zumwalt-class destroyer.
The US Navy envisions the battleship as a heavily armed surface combatant capable of conducting air defense, land attack, and anti-ship missions. The new vessel is expected to carry a significant missile payload, including 128 Mark 41 vertical launch system (VLS) cells and four launchers for the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missiles.
The CPS system would provide the ship with the ability to strike targets at long ranges using hypersonic weapons. If CPS integration does not proceed, the Navy could instead increase the ship’s VLS capacity by adding approximately 32 additional cells, according to CBO.
The BBGN is also planned to support emerging technologies, including large laser weapons and a rail gun, although CBO noted that some systems may not be mature enough for installation when construction begins. The navy could reserve space and power capacity for future upgrades.
The ship would also be capable of carrying the sea-launched cruise missile-nuclear (SLCM-N), providing the Navy with a surface platform capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
Shipbuilding industry could face major production challenge
Beyond the cost of the battleship program, CBO highlighted potential strain on the U.S. naval shipbuilding sector.
Under the Navy’s 2027 shipbuilding plan, compared with the previous 2025 plan, spending on large surface combatants would rise by more than two-thirds, increasing from about $11 billion annually to $19 billion annually.
By 2035, the amount of large surface combatant tonnage required from U.S. shipyards would more than double compared with previous plans. Overall, large surface combatant production would need to increase by approximately 60%, while small surface combatant production would decline by about 40%.
CBO said accommodating such a large increase in large warship production could prove challenging for shipbuilders.
The navy has indicated that Bath Iron Works and HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding would support battleship design efforts, with Leidos Gibbs & Cox providing surface ship design engineering assistance. Bath Iron Works and Ingalls currently produce many of the Navy’s major surface combatants.
At an estimated average cost of $18 billion per ship, one BBGN could cost roughly the equivalent of five Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which currently cost more than $3 billion each. However, CBO noted that the nuclear-powered battleship would require fewer sailors and could have lower operating costs over a 40-year service life compared with multiple conventionally powered ships.
The US Navy has not finalized the ultimate size of the BBGN fleet. Earlier statements suggested a program of two ships, to be followed by eight more, while navy officials later indicated the class could eventually include between 15 and 25 vessels. Under the current shipbuilding plan, 15 nuclear-powered battleships would be built between 2028 and 2056, with the first ship scheduled for delivery as part of a long-term expansion of US naval surface warfare capability.