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yesterday

CRS Flags Big Unknowns as Trump’s Golden Fleet Battleship Plan Faces Congressional Skepticism

A CRS primer plus congressional criticism highlight the proposal as conceptual, unfunded, years from procurement.

Iowa-Class Battleship Sailing. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Image
US President Donald Trump leaves after announcing the US Navy's new Golden Fleet initiative, unveiling a new class of warships, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on December 22, 2025. President Donald Trump on December 22 announced a new class of US warships that will be named after himself. The Trump-class ships "will be the largest battleship in the history of our country, the largest battleship in the history of the world ever built," the president told journalists at his Mar-a-Lago residence in the US state of Florida. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images)
Kirov-Class Battlecruiser Russian Navy. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Overview

  • A Congressional Research Service report released January 2 outlines unresolved questions on cost, mission analysis, acquisition steps and technology maturity for the Navy’s proposed BBG(X) guided‑missile battleship.
  • CRS and reporting estimate a single Trump‑class ship could cost comparable to a Gerald R. Ford‑class carrier, with key elements such as railguns and high‑power lasers still unproven for near‑term integration.
  • The report notes only three U.S. shipyards could build such large surface combatants and warns that existing backlogs heighten schedule risk and tradeoffs with other Navy programs.
  • Rep. Joe Courtney, the House Seapower panel’s ranking member, questioned the need for battleships, emphasized submarine priorities and pointed out the recently signed defense budget contains no funding for the new class.
  • The Navy has signaled plans to issue early design contracts with six‑year performance windows, placing any construction in the early 2030s and potential fleet entry in the late 2030s or later.