CBO: Trump-Class Nuclear Battleships Could Cost $275 Billion, Strain U.S. Shipbuilding

The U.S. Navy’s ambitious plan to design and build a new class of nuclear-powered battleships would cost an estimated $275 billion over the next three decades and place unprecedented demands on the nation’s shipbuilding industrial base, according to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office. 

The analysis estimates that the Navy’s planned fleet of 15 Trump-class nuclear-powered guided missile battleships (BBGN) would cost about $23.4 billion for the lead ship and an average of $18 billion for each of the 14 follow-on vessels, making them among the most expensive warships ever built. Overall, the program would cost about $275 billion in 2026 dollars between 2027 and