Trump-class battleship

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A graphic of the planned ship released by the U.S. Navy
Class overview
NameTrump class or BBG(X)
Operators United States Navy (projected)
Preceded byIowa class
Costestimated US$10 to 15 billion per ship (FY2025)
Planned10 to 25
General characteristics
TypeGuided-missile battleship
Displacement>35,000 t (34,000 long tons; 39,000 short tons)
Length840–880 ft (260–270 m)
Beam105–115 ft (32–35 m)
Draft24–30 ft (7.3–9.1 m)
PropulsionIntegrated Full Electric Propulsion (IFEP)
Speed>30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Crew650–850 personnel
Sensors &
processing systems		AN/SPY-6 air-search radar
Armament
Aircraft carriedCapable of fielding Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey and Future Vertical Lift helicopters
Aviation facilitiesFlight deck with two hangars
NotesData from the United States Naval Institute[1]

The Trump class is the name announced by U.S. President Donald Trump for a proposed class of guided-missile battleships for the United States Navy in a press conference in December 2025.[2][3][4][1] The class is also known as BBG(X) in some Navy documents,[5] and is intended to initially consist of the lead ship USS Defiant (BBG-1) and an as-yet unnamed other vessel. Once commissioned, the class is expected to add a nuclear-capable cruise missile option to the U.S. Navy surface fleet.[6]

History

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Background

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The Iowa-class USS Missouri in 1991 after returning from the Gulf War. The Iowa-class ships were constructed during World War II and were the last ships operated by the U.S. Navy to be classified as battleships.
USS Zumwalt in 2016. The Zumwalt-class destroyers are the largest surface combatant ships currently operated by the U.S. Navy and were designed in part to replace gunfire support and other capabilities of the Iowa class.

The Navy has not had a battleship in commission since the retirement of the last Iowa-class battleship USS Missouri in 1992.[7] There have been no plans for new ones since the cancellation of the Montana class in 1943.[8]

The retirement of the Iowa class led to a battleship retirement debate on how the Navy should replace their capabilities. The Zumwalt-class destroyer was developed to replace their gunfire support function, but the class was cancelled after only three ships were constructed.[9][10] The Zumwalt class is currently the largest surface combatant ship operated by the U.S. Navy, although aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships are generally larger.[1]

After cessation of Zumwalt procurement, the Navy announced a Large Surface Combatant initiative, which led to a design process for a DDG(X) or Next-Generation Guided-Missile Destroyer to replace each of these types.

Announcement

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The announcement of the class comes amidst warnings by U.S. officials that Chinese shipbuilding has surpassed the United States in capacity and output, and is part of the Trump administration's goal to enlarge the U.S. Navy and revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry.[11][12]

On 22 December 2025, Donald Trump announced that 2 ships would initially be constructed, with a total of 10 then planned, and eventual plans for "between 20 and 25" as part of a "Golden Fleet".[2][11] The first ship is planned to be named USS Defiant (BBG-1).[13] U.S. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan stated that the ships are planned to carry conventional guns and nuclear-armed cruise missiles.[14] Trump stated that the ships are planned to be domestically built at the Hanwha Philly Shipyard, owned by South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group.[15]. This work would replace the current DDG(X) process.

Planned armament

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Graphic representation of the weaponry that a Trump-class ship would carry

Ships of the class are planned to include, as part of their primary battery, a Surface-Launched Cruise Missile-Nuclear (SLCM-N) system, a 12-cell Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missile system, and a 128-cell Mark 41 vertical launching system (VLS).

A secondary battery is planned to consist of a 32-megajoule electromagnetic railgun, two 5-inch (127 mm) guns, and a pair of 300kW lasers. A defensive battery is planned with two RAM launchers, four 30mm guns, four ODIN lasers, and two anti-drone systems.[16]

The ships are also planned to have an enclosed hangar for VTOL aircraft such as the V-22 Osprey and other, future vertical-lift manned and unmanned aircraft.[1]

Reactions

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The Trump class name would challenge United States ship naming conventions—albeit unevenly applied[a]—of naming aircraft carriers after presidents and battleships after states. Nearly all of the service's current aircraft carriers are named after former commanders-in-chief, including USS Gerald R. Ford.[17]

CNN analyst Stephen Collinson states that the procurement of the Trump class would likely revive the battleship retirement debate.[18] Some experts have commented that this type of ship is obsolete and that none of this class will ever be built.[19][20][17]

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Defiant (BBG-1).
  • DDG(X), current post-Cold War U.S. guided-missile destroyer project
  • CG(X), cancelled post-Cold War U.S. guided-missile cruiser project
  • Arsenal ship, post-Cold War missile-truck large warship concept
  • Strike cruiser, late-Cold War U.S. missile cruiser design
  • USS Kentucky (BB-66), Iowa-class battleship considered for conversion to guided missile battleship while under construction in the 1950s; never completed
  • Kirov-class battlecruiser, late-Cold War Soviet heavy-missile battlecruiser
  • K-1000 battleship, early-Cold War Soviet missile battleship design

Footnotes

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Mallory Shelbourne; Sam LaGrone (22 December 2025), "Trump Unveils New Battleship Class; Proposed USS Defiant Will Be Largest U.S. Surface Combatant Since WWII", USNI News, United States Naval Institute
  2. ^ a b Liptak, Kevin (22 December 2025). "President unveils new 'Trump class' fleet of battleships | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  3. ^ Konstantin Toropin; Aamer Madhani (22 December 2025). "Trump announces plans for new Navy 'battleship' as part of a 'Golden Fleet'". Associated Press.
  4. ^ Lara Seligman; Marcus Weisgerber (22 December 2025). "New Class of Warship to Be Named After Trump". Wall Street Journal.
  5. ^ Nick Wilson; Abby Shepherd (23 December 2025). "GD, HII to work BBG(X) battleship design over six-year period". Inside Defense.(subscription required)
  6. ^ McLeary, Paul (22 December 2025). "Trump's new 'Trump-Class' battleship will carry nuclear weapons". Politico.
  7. ^ Kyle Mizokami (17 August 2024). "Repeat After Me! Navy Iowa-Class Battleships Will Never Sail Again". National Interest blog. The National Interest.
  8. ^ Friedman, Norman (1980). "United States of America". In Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Roger (eds.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. pp. 86–166. ISBN 978-0-87021-913-9.
  9. ^ Farley, Robert (3 April 2021). "It's No Iowa, But Navy 'Battleships' Live On Today". The National Interest. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  10. ^ Seitz, Isaac (3 September 2025). "The U.S. Navy's Zumwalt-Class Destroyers Have a 'Battleship' Problem". National Security Journal. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  11. ^ a b Debusmann Jr, Bernd (23 December 2025). "Donald Trump unveils new class of battleships named after himself". BBC.
  12. ^ Judson, Jen. "U.S. unveils plans for new ship under Trump's 'Golden Fleet' bid". Fortune. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  13. ^ "President Trump Announces New Battleship". U.S. Navy. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  14. ^ Holland, Steve (23 December 2025). "Trump unveils 'Trump-class' battleships, pressures defense contractors on overruns". Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  15. ^ Jie, Lim Hui (23 December 2025). "Hanwha Ocean shares jump 10% after Trump says South Korean firm to build warships for U.S. Navy". CNBC.
  16. ^ "We Have the Details of the First Trump-Class Battleship, And We're Not Laughing Anymore". autoevolution.com. 23 December 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  17. ^ a b Dan Lamothe; Tara Copp (23 December 2025). "Trump unveils a new class of Navy battleship named after himself". Washington Post – via MSN.
  18. ^ Collinson, Stephen (23 December 2025). "Analysis: He names these ships — the Trump class". CNN. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  19. ^ Trump announces 'Trump Class' of new Navy battleships ABC
  20. ^ Alberto Rojas (23 December 2025). "El acorazado de Donald Trump, un plan que nace obsoleto" [Donald Trump's battleship, a plan that is obsolete from the outset]. El Mundo (in Spanish).

Further reading

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