President Donald Trump and the U.S. Department of Defense are proposing a plan to build 15 nuclear-powered battleships [2].
The initiative, dubbed the “Golden Fleet,” represents a significant shift in naval strategy by reintroducing battleships to the U.S. fleet to modernize and expand maritime power [1, 2].
According to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office released this week, the total program cost is estimated at $275 billion [1]. The report said that the first ship, the USS Defiant, is expected to cost $23.4 billion [1]. Subsequent vessels in the class are projected to cost $18 billion each [1].
The CBO analysis said that construction for the USS Defiant could take eight years or longer [1]. This timeline reflects the complexity of integrating nuclear propulsion into a battleship hull, a design not used by the U.S. Navy in decades.
While the CBO provides a baseline figure, other analysts suggest the final price tag may be higher. Some reports said the battleship program could cost billions more than the $275 billion originally predicted [3].
The proposal aims to establish a dominant naval presence through these high-capacity vessels [2]. The scale of the investment would make the Golden Fleet one of the most expensive shipbuilding endeavors in U.S. history.
“The total program cost is estimated at $275 billion.”
The proposal to build the Golden Fleet signals a pivot toward heavy-surface combatants and nuclear propulsion to ensure long-term power projection. However, the discrepancy between CBO estimates and outside analysts suggests significant financial risk and potential cost overruns common in large-scale naval procurement.
