Geline Salac

Trump-class battleship fleet could cost $275 billion to build

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785971255284USS_Defiant_BBG-1_graphic_1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><em>Graphic of the planned ship released by the U.S. Navy</em></div><p>WASHINGTON - The US Navy&#x27;s planned fleet of 15 Trump-class battleships could cost $275 billion to build, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said Wednesday, making them among the most expensive American warships ever.</p><p>The first of the nuclear-powered battleships would cost about $23.4 billion in 2026 dollars, while subsequent ships, which would be purchased through 2056, would average $18 billion, the CBO said in a report.</p><p>In comparison, the USS Gerald R. Ford -- the world&#x27;s largest aircraft carrier -- cost about $13.3 billion in 2008 dollars, or over $20 billion when adjusted for inflation.</p><p>US President Donald Trump announced plans for the new class of warships named after himself -- an honor usually reserved for leaders who have left office -- in December 2025.</p><p>They will be heavily armed, carrying anti-air and land-attack missiles, hypersonic weapons, nuclear cruise missiles, lasers and a railgun, CBO said.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785971341743USS_Defiant_BBG-1_graphic01.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><em>Graphic representation of the weaponry that a Trump-class ship would carry. U.S. Navy graphic of the planned Trump-class USS Defiant (BBG-1)</em></div><p>The Trump-class ships will be substantially larger than existing US destroyers and cruisers, but their projected displacement is somewhat smaller than the last American battleships -- from the Iowa class -- which were retired in the 1990s.</p><p>Washington has fallen significantly behind Beijing when it comes to the number of ships in its navy, and a report to Congress last year noted that US military officials and other observers are concerned by the pace of China&#x27;s shipbuilding efforts.</p><p>wd/pnb</p>

<p>The US Navy's planned fleet of 15 Trump-class battleships could cost $275 billion to build, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said Wednesday, making them among the most expensive American warships ever.</p>

The US Navy's planned fleet of 15 Trump-class battleships could cost $275 billion to build, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said Wednesday, making them among the most expensive American warships ever.