Navy plans to buy 15 costly Trump-class battleships by 2055

The US Navy said it plans to buy at least 15 new battleships endorsed by President Donald Trump over the next 30 years, according to its new shipbuilding plan, marking a deeper commitment than previously revealed to what could be the costliest warship ever produced. 

The Navy had previously said it would purchase three of the so-called Trump-class battleships, with the first arriving in 2036. But the Navy now projects buying more than a dozen of the vessels through 2055, the service said in a congressionally mandated, long-range plan released on Monday.

The new Trump battleships — unveiled and personally approved by the president — could cost at least $14.5 billion apiece given a five-year Navy budget plan requests $43.5 billion for the first three vessels. That would make them even costlier than the $13 billion USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier, the most expensive US warship. The lead vessel of a new class of warships has historically cost much more than planned.

While Trump previously said the Navy aims to build as many as 25 battleships, the Navy plan represents an authoritative assessment that has gone through the service’s formal requirements process.

Still, the ship-buying is no sure thing. The Navy’s 30-year plans are generally seen as aspirational documents, with this plan containing no clear figures for the cost of a 15-ship fleet. And Trump’s planned 44% boost for the Pentagon’s $1.5 trillion 2027 budget is likely to meet