Overview
- Huntington Ingalls’ CEO said the Navy will issue initial BBG(X) design-schedule guidance within 30–60 days, a first concrete timetable since the December unveiling.
- Rear Adm. Derek Trinque said DDG(X) design constraints forced a choice between a gun system and Conventional Prompt Strike, prompting a larger ship to carry both and power future directed-energy systems.
- NAVSEA briefed that USS Zumwalt finished installing Conventional Prompt Strike modules in late 2025, had both 155mm guns removed, and will return to sea in 2026 as the first U.S. ship armed with 12 CPS missiles.
- Secretary of the Navy John Phelan estimated U.S. shipyards and suppliers must hire roughly 250,000 skilled workers over the next decade to meet Golden Fleet goals.
- Analysts and lawmakers are weighing survivability, industrial capacity and technology maturity, with Congressional Research Service figures placing recurring costs near $10 billion per BBG(X) and potentially $15 billion for the lead ship.