The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report Wednesday estimating that President Trump's proposed new class of nuclear-powered battleships, intended to lead the Navy's "Golden Fleet," could cost approximately $275 billion to build. The analysis, requested by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), projects the first of 15 ships, the USS Defiant, would cost around $23.4 billion, with each subsequent vessel costing roughly $18 billion.
The CBO also notes that the first battleship could take eight years or longer to construct, a timeline that clashes with the president's goal of having the new ships ready by 2028. Industry experts have previously expressed skepticism about that schedule, pointing to the complexity of designing a new class of nuclear-powered surface combatants.
Design and Propulsion Shift
The battleships, unveiled by Trump in December, were initially planned to use gas turbine engines similar to those on current cruisers and destroyers. However, the president later directed that they be powered by nuclear reactors, a change that significantly increases costs and design challenges. Trump has touted the vessels as "the fastest, the biggest and by far, 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built," with a displacement exceeding 30,000 tons.
The Navy's proposed $377 billion budget for the next fiscal year includes nearly $66 billion for shipbuilding, but the battleship program would require additional funding beyond that. The CBO report highlights that the Navy does not currently plan to use established shipyards like Bath Iron Works in Maine or Ingalls Shipbuilding in Mississippi for final assembly, despite those yards having built all of the Navy's large surface combatants over the past four decades.
Political and Expert Criticism
Senator Merkley, ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, condemned the project as a "massive military boondoggle" that would enrich the military-industrial complex without delivering real security benefits. "While we continue to see too many Pentagon programs burdened by cost overruns, delays, and unrealistic promises that fail to meet reality, Congress cannot afford to commit to another massive military boondoggle," he said in a statement. He vowed to work with colleagues on the Appropriations Committee to block the program.
Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, also voiced opposition, telling reporters that the Golden Fleet "doesn't make sense" and is not how future warfare will be conducted. Reed noted that some proponents argue the ships could launch long-range missiles from outside enemy kill zones, but he remained unconvinced.
Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, wrote in December that the program would face years of design work, cost billions per ship, and contradict the Navy's current concept of distributed firepower. He predicted that "a future administration will cancel the program before the first ship hits the water."
Administration Turmoil and Past Failures
The battleship initiative has already contributed to leadership shakeups. In April, Trump fired Navy Secretary John Phelan, citing disagreements over shipbuilding priorities. The president said Phelan "didn't get along" with others involved in the program, though he praised him as "an excellent guy."
The Navy has a troubled history of cost overruns and schedule delays in its shipbuilding programs. In November, the service canceled the Constellation-class frigate program after encountering significant problems. The CBO report also raises concerns about the feasibility of constructing the battleships at shipyards without recent experience in large surface combatants.
As the debate unfolds, the fate of the Golden Fleet remains uncertain. With congressional opposition growing and the price tag soaring, the program faces an uphill battle in a budget environment already strained by competing defense priorities. For more on related political clashes, see Trump's recent attack on a primary winner and diplomatic tensions with the UK. Meanwhile, the president continues to push other agenda items, such as permanent daylight saving time and tax cuts ahead of the midterms.
