Trump's 'Century Warship' Plan Faces Cost Overruns and Shipyard Shortfalls
Bastillepost · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago5 MIN
Summary
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unveiled plans late last year for what they called the 'fastest, largest battleships' in U.S. Navy history, designated the 'Trump class' . The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report last Friday revealing dramatically inflated costs: the lead ship 'Fearless' (無畏號) would cost $23.4 billion (approximately HK$182.5 billion), roughly 50% above initial estimates, while a 15-vessel fleet would total $275 billion (nearly HK$2.2 trillion) . The program envisions 20 to 25 vessels armed with hypersonic weapons, electromagnetic railguns, cruise missiles, laser weapons, and nuclear-capable missiles .
Key Points
- The original Navy budget estimated the lead ship at $15.1 billion, with subsequent vessels averaging $10.2 billion, before Trump mandated all-nuclear propulsion .
- The CBO projects a 3.5 million-ton displacement vessel would cost $23.4 billion, approaching the price of a Ford-class aircraft carrier .
- Former Navy Secretary John Phelan testified that even the best-performing recent warship programs experienced delays exceeding six months and cost overruns of 57% .
- U.S. shipbuilding capacity has declined for years due to industrial offshoring, with Arleigh Burke-class destroyer deliveries delayed by up to five years .
- Newport News Shipbuilding, the primary builder of nuclear vessels, would have to prioritize the battleships over Ford-class carriers and nuclear submarines .
Why It Matters
The battleship program's potential collapse would further strain America's already diminished naval shipbuilding base, which supports key allies including those in the Indo-Pacific region . For Hong Kong and regional security observers, a failed program or diverted submarine production could alter the naval balance in contested waters where freedom of navigation remains a critical concern .
The battleship program's potential collapse would further strain America's already diminished naval shipbuilding base, which supports key allies including those in the Indo-Pacific region . For Hong Kong and regional security observers, a failed program or diverted submarine production could alter the naval balance in contested waters where freedom of navigation remains a critical concern .