Key Points and Summary – The proposed Trump-class battleship shocked observers because it runs against the Navy’s shift toward smaller, distributed forces.
-But there’s a plausible argument for a “floating arsenal”: a large surface combatant packed with vertical-launch cells, hypersonic strike capacity, and layered defenses that can hold key sea lanes and deny access over time.
The battleship USS IOWA (BB 61) fires a broadside to starboard from its Mk 7 16-inch guns.
Iowa-class battleship. Image: Creative Commons.
-The concept leans on endurance, magazine depth, and the ability to stay on station in a way smaller ships often cannot.
-Critics see an expensive, high-value target. Supporters see a capital ship built for deterrence-by-presence and long-range strike—less a throwback, more a missile-era battlecruiser.
The Trump-Class Battleship Has a Message: Big Ships Aren’t Dead Yet
The announcement of a Trump-class battleship came out of left field for a lot of people. With the U.S. Navy attempting to transition toward smaller and more distributed assets, the last thing anyone expected was a large, nuclear-powered missile carrier similar to Russia’s Kirov-class battle cruisers.
Many commentators were quick to dismiss the proposed Trump-class, probably due to its association with U.S. President Donald Trump himself—but there are legitimate reasons why a missile-carrying battlecruiser could be relevant, even in today’s warfare. The size and armaments of the vessel could make it a valuable asset for holding down strategic positions and denying access to adversaries.
Design and Development
The Trump-class battleship is part of Trump’s larger initiative to revitalize U.S. naval might and bring back U.S. shipbuilding. The ship is intended to serve as the centerpiece of what Trump calls the “Golden Fleet.”
It is designed to outmatch and outgun any vessel fielded by U.S. adversaries and provide long-range missile support. At triple the size of an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the class is expected to be the largest surface ship commissioned in decades, excluding aircraft carriers. “As we forge the future of our Navy’s Fleet, we need a larger surface combatant and the Trump class Battleships meet that requirement,” said Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle.
Design details are still unknown, but thanks to official renderings and some statements from the Navy, analysts have a general picture of what the new class is expected to do. It should measure about 840–880 feet in length, with a draft of roughly 24 feet and a displacement of about 35,000 tons. (Keep in mind these are rough estimates and not official numbers.) Much like the DDG(X) concept, the Trump-class is expected to use gas turbine and diesel engines to power and propel the ship. The ship would have a top speed of about 30 knots and be equipped with a hanger for V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.
Image: Creative Commons.
An overhead view of the battleship USS NEW JERSEY (BB 62) firing its Mark 7 16-inch/50-caliber guns to starboard.
The Trump-class’s Fearsome Armament
The new battleship will be equipped with 24 Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) cells, 128 Mk 41 vertical launching systems (VLS), and two RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launchers for air defense. It will feature two Mark-45 five-inch guns, a 32 MJ railgun, and at least one directed-energy weapon.
It should be noted that the United Kingdom successfully tested its DragonFire directed-energy weapon in 2024.
This armament gives the Trump-class considerable amounts of firepower to work with. The Mark-41 VLS can be armed with surface-to-air or surface-to-surface missiles, making it incredibly versatile. But the CPS cells are the real centerpiece.
The CPS program was designed to allow the United States to deliver a precision-guided conventional weapon strike anywhere around the world within one hour. The program began development as far back as the early 2000s, under President George W. Bush, to ensure non-nuclear deterrence.
Originally, CPS was intended to be integrated into submarines and Zumwalt-class destroyers, but now the Navy plans to expand its use to the Trump-class battleship as well. The CPS reportedly uses hypersonic missiles which can strike anywhere around the world in roughly an hour.
This significantly increases the versatility of the Trump-class, which would need not travel far outside of U.S. waters to deliver devastating conventional strikes.
Directed-energy weapons and railguns have been under development for some time now. Japan has made considerable progress with its own railgun project, including its first sea-firing tests in 2023.
Trump-Class Battleship. Image Credit: Creative Commons/White House Photo.
Railguns could be used for missile defense, specifically against hypersonic missiles, but have yet to demonstrate such capabilities in practice. The biggest concern with railguns and directed-energy weapons is the amount of power they use. This is especially a concern, because the Trump-class would rely on diesel and electric power plants rather than nuclear power, which generates significantly more electricity.
In Defense of the Modern “Battleship”
Many analysts have already dismissed the Trump-class as obsolete, and for good reasons. The U.S. Navy has been shifting its focus toward distributed maritime operations. However, there is always an argument to be made for a large, resilient class of warship.
Smaller vessels are necessary to win fights, but they cannot exercise control the same way that an aircraft carrier, or, in this case, a battleship can. The greatest downside to smaller distributed operations is their lack of endurance. They cannot remain at sea for as long as larger warships, making them less ideal for holding territory.
Critics of the Trump-class argue that naval warfare has changed significantly, and the old paradigm of naval “battlelines” that held sway when battleships were actually relevant is no longer standard doctrine; this is certainly true.
But if the U.S. wants to revitalize its Navy, it also needs larger warships that can secure and hold strategic shipping lanes.
About the Author: Isaac Seitz
Isaac Seitz, a Defense Columnist, graduated from Patrick Henry College’s Strategic Intelligence and National Security program. He has also studied Russian at Middlebury Language Schools and has worked as an intelligence Analyst in the private sector.
