{
  "id": 702586,
  "title": "US Navy's new \"Trump class\" nuclear-powered program could hit $275 billion — with the first ship alone costing an eye-watering $23.4 billion",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/us-navys-new-trump-class-nuclear-powered-program-could-hit-275",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-12T21:20:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechRadar",
    "slug": "techradar",
    "url": "https://www.techradar.com/pro/us-navys-new-trump-class-nuclear-powered-program-could-hit-usd275-billion-with-the-first-ship-alone-costing-an-eye-watering-usd23-4-billion"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The US Navy's Trump-class nuclear-powered battleship program could skyrocket to a budget of $275 billion, with the first ship alone costing $23.4 billion. This mammoth vessel, weighing in at 35,000 tons, is equipped with hypersonic, nuclear, and laser missiles, making it the most heavily armed surface combatant the Navy has ever attempted to construct. The Trump administration announced plans to build these behemoths in December 2025, envisioning them as the largest and most advanced surface combatants since World War II. The Navy intends to launch 15 of these ships between 2028 and 2056, with each of the subsequent fourteen ships priced at $18 billion. This ambitious timeline and design contrast starkly with the USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy's newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, which cost approximately $13.3 billion to build. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that shipyards would need to produce 12% more tonnage by 2035 than under the 2025 plan to meet this deadline. The report suggests that by 2058, the total tonnage of large surface combatants would need to increase by 60%, a pace that poses a significant challenge for the industry. However, concerns about the Navy's shipbuilding capacity persist, as highlighted by a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report from last March, which detailed a history of setbacks. The GAO noted that too few ships have been completed, new vessels often fail to perform as expected, and deliveries frequently run late. Some ships have even arrived up to three years behind schedule. While nuclear propulsion could potentially lower the battleship's long-term operating costs by eliminating the need for fuel purchases, specific savings were not quantified by the CBO.",
  "summary": "US Navy's proposed Trump-class program could cost $275 billion while demanding unprecedented shipyard output despite persistent construction delays and rising costs.",
  "key_points": [
    "Trump-class nuclear-powered battleship program could cost $275 billion",
    "First ship alone costs $23.4 billion",
    "15 ships planned between 2028 and 2056"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}