The Trump-Class Battleship Needs To Become a Giant Missile Truck
The newly proposed Trump-class battleship would be a powerful vessel if ever constructed.
As part of the president’s new “Golden Fleet” initiative, this missile barge, prepared for what I call the “Kinetic Missile Fight,” could inflict serious damage on enemy ships and destroy multiple targets on shorelines to support amphibious operations and protect U.S. Marines landing ashore.
Trump-Class Battleship USS Defiant. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
A $20 Billion Ship
The Trump-class USS Defiant battleship still has a long way to go. The hefty price tag of more than $20 billion per unit could shock Congressional lawmakers. To put that in perspective, the USS Gerald R. Ford cost $13.3 billion, and that was after numerous cost overruns and delays.
The U.S. Navy is not prepared to consider anything a waste of money. I was asked recently in a media interview, “Is the Gerald R. Ford one big money pit that should have never been built?”
I said no, and I also acknowledged that too many technologies were integrated onto the carrier at once.
Adding Lasers and Rail Guns Could Be a Bridge Too Far
But that is exactly what the Navy intends for the USS Defiant and its sister ships.
There will be a new high-tech laser system to counter and destroy enemy missiles and drones. Additionally, an additional railgun is planned.
Are these features too numerous, with costs and technological complexity that may be unmanageable?
16-Inch Guns of USS Iowa 19FortyFive Image taken By Harry J. Kazianis on the Deck of the Battleship USS Iowa.
Nuclear or Conventionally-Powered
First, let me share some more details about the USS Defiant.
The Trump-class is expected to displace 40,000 tons. It would carry hundreds of ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic weapons. The nuclear power plant will be impressive, hopefully needing less maintenance and shorter Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) periods at midlife. This will enable global reach, anytime and anywhere, and the ability to operate with carrier battle groups and amphibious transport docks. There is also the option to make the Trump-class conventionally powered.
How Will the USS Defiant Defend Itself?
Second, the Trump-class could be a magnet for bombs and missiles.
It would need protection from carrier strike group escort ships equipped with the Aegis Combat System. The new battleship may also require the “SM” Standard Missile family of interceptors to defend against enemy missiles and drones. Additionally, a close-in weapons system would need to be installed. This increases the ship’s cost and weight.
Is the Trump-class Even Needed?
Third, what does the Trump-class add to the Kinetic Missile Fight?
Tomahawk cruise missiles are already launched by surface ships and submarines. The directed energy system could generate too much heat and require significant electrical power. The same goes for rail guns, which need substantial power systems and are expensive and difficult to maintain. The barrels erode, and the rate of fire is not high.
Let’s Strip It Down to Missiles Only
Perhaps the Trump-class battleship should just serve as a dedicated missile barge. A Tomahawk missile carrier might be more beneficial. It would have 128 Mark 41 Vertical Launching System cells.
The Navy is developing the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missile. Zumwalt-class destroyers and Virginia-class submarines will carry CPS onboard by next year. The Defiant will also be equipped with a nuclear-tipped Sea Launched Cruise Missile.
Zumwalt-Class Destroyer U.S. Navy. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The missile-only rendition of the Trump-class makes more sense without the railgun and directed-energy system. This could reduce the $20 billion cost and persuade some lawmakers on Capitol Hill to support the build-out of a new 840-foot mega-ship.
It Will Need More Congressional Support
So far, few Congressional allies have stepped up to support this program, officially known as the BBG-X. These are the first battleships built since World War II and wouldn’t be ready until the 2030s.
With increasing demand for more Ford-class aircraft carriers and the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine SSBN, Navy resources and shipbuilding capacity are stretched thin. Manpower issues at shipyards and delays across various vessel programs are already common. The Navy aims to build 15 to 25 Trump-class battleships. The Golden Fleet will face a significant challenge.
Congressional Think Tank Is Skeptical
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) doesn’t believe the USS Defiant will enter active duty before 2040.
Zumwalt-Class Artist Rendering. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
By that time, the threat landscape might have shifted. The president then could oppose anything related to Trump, and Congress would have a new batch of leaders who are not interested in the BBG(X).
The CRS does not appear to support the Trump-class and has numerous questions that analysts want the Navy and current administration to address.
Check Out This Series of Difficult Questions for the Trump National Security Team
“Why has the Trump Administration decided to propose the acquisition of a new class of battleships? What sort of analysis—such as an Analysis of Alternatives (AOA)—informed the proposal to acquire a new class of surface combatants substantially larger than the previously planned DDG(X)? What other options did the analysis examine, and how did these options compare analytically to the option of a new class of surface combatants substantially larger than the DDG(X)? Would developing and procuring the proposed class of BBG(X)s as a complement to other existing and planned Navy ships be the most cost-effective course of action? What steps in the DOD acquisition process, if any, were set aside to enable the initiation of the BBG(X) program in December 2025?”
U.S. Navy Iowa-Class Battleship Missile Launchers 19FortyFive.com Image taken back in 2025 onboard USS Iowa in California.
Do you understand all of these questions?
If I were preparing a witness for a Congressional hearing, I would try to craft some detailed answers, but it wouldn’t be easy.
Those tough questions will likely be posed to Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle, and he had better answer candidly. Some legislators are already questioning whether the Trump-class has a future. The Democrats, always looking for a way to poke at Trump, will certainly wonder how the BBG(X) will come to be.
These domestic political pressures may lead to the removal of the Trump-class battleship’s advanced technologies, such as the rail gun and directed energy systems, possibly leaving the USS Defiant equipped only with missiles.
Trump-Class Battleship. Image Credit: Creative Commons/White House Photo.
This would lower costs, shorten production duration, and reduce potential delays caused by complex systems. There is limited time to make these decisions, as Trump has only three years remaining in office, and after he leaves, his successor might not want to be associated with the BBG(X), putting it at risk.
For now, the Navy should focus on stripping down the features and emphasizing what the service excels at – launching devastating missiles that could send the enemy back to the Stone Age.
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood
Author of now over 3,000 articles on defense issues, Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
