The timeline would allow the purchase to be made before the end of President Donald Trump’s term. The program reflects a broader effort to develop a new large surface combatant.
Ben Reynolds said the Navy has been working toward such a platform for several years. “We’ve been pursuing a larger surface combatant for many years. I think we’ve invested over five years in DDG(X) large surface combatant,” he said.
Reynolds said the larger vessel would reduce tradeoffs associated with smaller ships. “This will be able to do many, many things that our DDGs cannot, just like the frigate fills a hole that our DDG doesn’t,” he said.
He added that the Navy’s surface fleet is becoming less diverse as older vessels are retired. “We’re down to now – with cruisers going away – you’re down to one kind of ship,” Reynolds said.
In its fiscal year 2027 budget request, the Navy is seeking $1 billion in advance procurement funding for the battleship. It is also requesting $837 million for research and development.
Reynolds said early design work is already underway. “We are already moving out right now. So I think we’re using about $134 million of design money now,” he said.
He added that the Navy may request additional funding through reprogramming. “I think we will likely go to Congress – likely – to ask for additional funds through above threshold reprogramming for this year in ‘26 for R&D, to move now in ‘26,” Reynolds said.
The Navy plans to combine current funding with future allocations to begin construction. “Then that will go with our AP and R&D in ‘27 to get after … beginning construction in ‘28,” he said.
Over the five-year defense plan, the Pentagon expects to allocate $43.5 billion for the program. The first ship alone is projected to cost $17 billion in procurement funding.
The Navy currently plans to acquire a second ship in fiscal year 2030 for $13 billion. A third ship is projected for fiscal year 2031 at an estimated $11.5 billion.
The program builds on earlier plans for the DDG(X) large surface combatant. The Navy first outlined its intention to procure such a vessel in 2021 and later presented the concept in 2022.
The Trump-class battleship is part of a broader naval strategy linked to the administration’s “Golden Fleet” concept. It follows decisions to cancel the Constellation-class frigate programme and pursue an alternative design based on the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Security Cutter.
Source: USNI News.
