US Navy requests $17 Billion for first Trump-class battleship to lead future naval warfare.

The U.S. Navy has requested $17 billion for its first Trump-class battleship, USS Defiant (BBG-1), marking a major shift toward a new generation of high-end surface combatants built to restore lost cruiser capabilities and dramatically expand firepower at sea. This move reflects a strategic push to counter peer naval threats by concentrating air defense command, long-range strike, and deterrence power into a single, heavily armed vessel.

The Trump-class is designed around a much larger hull to carry hypersonic missiles, 128 vertical launch cells, and future directed-energy weapons while generating the power required to sustain them in combat. This enables one ship to execute missions traditionally spread across multiple vessels, aligning with a broader trend toward integrated, high-capacity warships built for multi-domain operations and high-intensity conflict.

Related topic: U.S. Congress approves deployment of SLCM-N nuclear cruise missiles on Trump-class battleships

The Trump-class battleship is projected to measure between 260 and 270 meters in length, with a beam of 32 to 35 meters, making it slightly longer than the Japanese battleship Yamato, which measured 263 meters overall. (Picture source: US Navy)

As reported by USNI News on April 21, 2026, the U.S Navy requests $17 billion for the first Trump-class battleship in its Fiscal Year 2027 budget request, namely the USS Defiant (BBG-1), and now scheduled for FY2028 acquisition. The program, formally designated BBG(X) and announced on December 22, 2025, is incorporated into the five-year Future Years Defense Program and linked to the Golden Fleet Initiative, which prioritizes expansion of high-end naval combat capability. Funding requested for FY2027 includes $1 billion in advance procurement within the shipbuilding account and $837 millions in research, development, testing, and evaluation, in addition to approximately $134 millions already committed to early design work.

The scale of the program, now totaling $43.5 billion, places it among the most expensive surface combatant efforts undertaken by the U.S Navy since the Cold War, with $17 billions for the first Trump-class battleship in FY2028, $13 billions for the second hull in FY2030, and between $11 and $11.5 billions for the third in FY2031. The Trump-class procurement strategy relies on full funding per ship rather than incremental financing, concentrating expenditures within single fiscal years. The BBG(X) is positioned to replace cruiser-level capabilities lost with the retirement of Ticonderoga-class ships and to expand payload capacity beyond the limits identified in the DDG(X) design. 

The transition from the DDG(X) destroyer program to the BBG(X) missile battleship concept resulted from specific engineering constraints identified during design studies conducted between 2021 and January 2026. The DDG(X) hull form was assessed as insufficient to support the required number of vertical launch system cells, integration of Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic missiles, and future high-energy weapons without exceeding power and cooling margins. US Navy leadership evaluated a dual-variant destroyer approach but determined that splitting mission sets across variants would not meet operational requirements. The decision was then made to move toward a single larger hull capable of accommodating all planned systems.

This shift occurs in parallel with the retirement of Ticonderoga-class cruisers, which had provided dedicated air defense command functions within U.S. carrier strike groups. By the mid-2020s, the surface fleet structure had effectively narrowed to Arleigh Burke-class destroyers as the only major combatant in production. The Trump-class, therefore, is intended to restore a second high-end surface combatant category, but also address the future requirement for increased electrical generation capacity driven by directed energy weapons and advanced sensors. For the US Navy, the decision reflects a prioritization of payload volume and power margins over total ship count. 

The funding structure for the Trump-class program establishes a compressed development timeline leading to construction start in FY2028. The FY2027 budget request includes $1B in advance procurement funding to secure long-lead components such as propulsion systems, steel, and electronic subsystems, alongside $837M for continued development of weapons integration, combat systems, and hull design. Prior funding of approximately $134M has supported preliminary design and concept development, with additional reprogramming anticipated in FY2026 to accelerate engineering work. The FY2028 procurement request for $17B represents a single-ship funding level exceeding previous surface combatant programs, including the Zumwalt-class.

The second and third ships show reduced unit costs, reflecting expected efficiencies in production and design stabilization. The absence of incremental funding authority requires each ship to be fully financed in its procurement year, limiting flexibility in budget execution. The total allocation of $43.5B across three ships is fixed within the Future Years Defense Program, which increases exposure to budget adjustments if overall defense spending priorities shift. The BBG(X) design parameters define a vessel exceeding 30,000 tons displacement, placing it at roughly three times the size of an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and slightly above the Russian Admiral Nakhimov battlecruiser.

The Trump-class is projected to measure between 260 and 270 meters in length with a beam of 32 to 35 meters, which is longer than the Japanese battleship Yamato. The ship is designed to achieve speeds above 30 knots, the same speed reached by the German battleship Bismarck during World War II. Crew size is estimated between 650 and 800 personnel, like the HMS Lord Nelson, a British pre-dreadnought battleship built for the Royal Navy in the early 1900s. Aviation facilities include a flight deck and dual hangars capable of supporting V-22 Osprey aircraft and future vertical lift systems, enabling extended airborne operations. The sensor suite is built around the AN/SPY-6 radar, providing integrated air and missile detection and tracking.

A 30,000-ton hull also provides roughly three to four times the internal volume of a 9,000 ton destroyer, enabling the installation of larger vertical launch systems, additional missile magazines, thermal management systems, and enough power generation capacity for directed energy weapons and future upgrades. The offensive configuration of the Trump-class combines hypersonic and conventional missile systems within a single hull to provide multi-layered strike capability. The ship is designed to carry 12 Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missiles, intended to deliver conventional warheads at intercontinental ranges within approximately one hour. This capability is intended to complement existing strike systems by reducing response time against time-sensitive targets.

The USS Defiant (BBG-1) will also include 128 Mk41 vertical launch system cells, capable of deploying Tomahawk land-attack missiles, Standard Missile interceptors, and other munitions. The hull allows for potential integration of SLCM-N nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missiles, expanding the range of deterrence options available to the U.S. surface fleet. The combined missile load significantly exceeds that of current Arleigh Burke Flight III destroyers, which typically carry 96 VLS cells. The Trump-class, if realized, will enable simultaneous engagement across multiple mission areas, including strike and air defense. This concentration of firepower reduces reliance on multiple ships to achieve similar effects, but it also increases the dependence on onboard magazine capacity.

Defensive systems are structured to counter a range of threats through layered interception and active engagement rather than passive protection. The Trump-class battleship is equipped with two RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launchers for close-in defense against incoming missiles and aircraft. Additional armament includes two 5-inch/62 caliber guns for surface engagements and four 30mm systems for short-range defense against small craft and aerial threats. Directed energy weapons in the 300 to 600 kilowatt range are also planned as part of the baseline configuration, with potential upgrades toward approximately 1 megawatt depending on available power. Laser systems derived from ODIN and HELIOS are intended to support surveillance, targeting, and counter-drone operations.

Anti-drone systems are included as a standard component of the defensive architecture, reflecting the increasing use of unmanned systems in maritime conflict. The Trump-class' survivability is therefore based on the ability to detect and intercept threats before impact. This requires the continuous operation of sensors and weapons under high power demand, and also assumes a reliable performance of integrated combat systems under sustained attack conditions. The Trump-class is expected to perform multiple mission sets that are currently distributed across different ship classes within the U.S. Navy fleet. The battleship is intended to operate within carrier strike groups as a primary air defense and command ship, replacing functions previously assigned to cruisers.

It is also designed to operate independently within surface action groups, providing long-range strike capability and command and control functions. Core missions include area air defense, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and long-range strike operations. The ship is configured to host embarked command staff, enabling it to function as a coordination node for complex operations. Integration with unmanned surface and aerial systems is planned to extend operational reach and situational awareness. This multi-role configuration reduces the need for specialized vessels but increases reliance on a single hull for multiple capabilities. It also requires robust communication and data integration systems to consolidate such high-end combat functions.

Industrial base constraints present a significant factor in the Trump-class program’s execution, particularly due to the current U.S. shipyard capacity and workforce availability. Major shipyards such as Bath Iron Works, Ingalls Shipbuilding, and Newport News Shipbuilding are currently operating with workforce shortages and existing production commitments. Expanding production capacity will require the recruitment and training of skilled labor, as well as the investment in infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities. Discussions are ongoing with multiple companies regarding design and construction responsibilities to distribute workload. Hanwha Philly Shipyard has been said to be seen as a potential contributor, although it has not previously built naval combatants and would require capability development.

The scale of the BBG(X) program is expected to drive demand for specialized components and advanced manufacturing processes, but these requirements introduce risks related to schedule delays and cost increases. Industrial readiness will directly influence the Trump-class's construction timelines. Sustained funding will also be required to maintain workforce and infrastructure expansion. Cost comparisons place the Trump-class at a significantly higher level than existing surface combatant programs, raising questions regarding affordability and resource allocation. The $17B cost of the lead ship is six to eight times higher than the $2B to $2.5B unit cost of an Arleigh Burke Flight III destroyer.

The Zumwalt-class destroyer, previously one of the most expensive surface combatants, had an estimated cost of approximately $7B per ship when including research and development. The total program cost of $43.5B for three ships is therefore equivalent to procuring between 17 and 20 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers at current prices. There are also three major problems: the integration of hypersonic weapons, directed energy systems, and advanced sensors introduces additional development and integration risks; the absence of cost control mechanisms, such as block procurement, further limits opportunities to reduce unit costs; and budget concentration within specific fiscal years increases exposure to funding adjustments.

These factors create uncertainty regarding long-term affordability, as cost growth in early units may affect the total number of ships ultimately built. Strategic trade-offs associated with the Trump-class battleship involve the concentration of major combat capabilities within a limited number of high-value ships. A fleet structure relying on fewer but more capable units, like the Japanese and German navies during WWII, increases vulnerability to saturation attacks involving large numbers of aircraft, torpedoes, bombs, missiles, or unmanned systems. The loss of a single ship would therefore represent a significant reduction in available combat capability and a substantial financial loss.

Survivability depends on the performance of layered defense systems, including missile interceptors and directed energy weapons, rather than the historical battleship's thick armor belt, often exceeding 300 mm, to absorb incoming fire. This approach contrasts with distributed lethality concepts that emphasize a larger number of smaller, less expensive vessels to complicate targeting. The BBG(X)/Trump-class reflects a prioritization of maximum capability per unit, particularly in scenarios involving peer adversaries with advanced naval forces, which aligns with planning assumptions related to high-intensity conflict. For the US Navy, the balance between concentrated and distributed force structures remains a central consideration in future fleet planning.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.