Overview
- Trump unveiled a ‘Trump‑class’ capital ship on Dec. 22 as the centerpiece of a Golden Fleet, with Navy materials touting massive missile magazines, hypersonic Conventional Prompt Strike and a sea‑launched nuclear‑capable cruise missile.
- New analysis highlights that battleships have been eclipsed for decades, with experts saying the concept functions more like an oversized destroyer and would be a large, high‑value target.
- Critics argue the design conflicts with the Navy’s Distributed Maritime Operations, with CSIS’s Mark Cancian predicting the effort would be canceled before any ship enters service.
- Cost and capacity loom as primary barriers, with estimates ranging from roughly $8 billion to at least $10 billion per ship and warnings that recent programs like Zumwalt and the Littoral Combat Ship suffered steep cuts and unmet goals.
- Additional concerns include immature technologies such as railguns and lasers and escalation risks from nuclear‑capable cruise missiles, while some observers interpret the plan as signaling directed at China.