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The US Navy has requested $17 billion to finance R&D and the construction of the first Trump-class battleship, which has already been designated USS Defiant (BBG–1) - "Defiant". For example, the most modern aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, cost the US budget about $13.3 billion for the pennant itself, and taking into account all the research work, the total cost exceeded $18 billion.
The funding requested for fiscal year 2027 includes $1 billion for pre-procurement and $837 million for R&D, in addition to the $134 million already allocated for initial design work.
Currently, the concept involves the creation of a ship with a massive hull that will carry 12 hypersonic conventional intercontinental missiles CPS, 128 VPU Mk41 (for Tomahawk missiles, SM interceptors and other weapons of destruction), promising means of directed energy (rail systems, laser weapons based on ODIN and HELIOS) with a capacity from 300 to 600 kW (with the possibility of upgrading to about 1 MW) and, possibly, SLCM-N CR with nuclear power plant.
Weapons for close-range defense will include 2 RIM-116 launchers (against missiles and aircraft), two 5-inch guns with a barrel length of 62 caliber (against surface targets) and four 30-mm systems (against small aircraft).
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This will enable one ship to perform tasks that are traditionally distributed among several combat units.
It is estimated that the length will be from 260 to 270 m, and the width from 32 to 35 m, which is slightly more than that of the Japanese battleship Yamato. The speed should exceed 30 knots – this was developed by the German battleship Bismarck. The number of crew is estimated at 650-800 people. With a displacement of more than 30,000 tons (about 3 times the size of the Arleigh Burke and slightly surpasses the Russian cruiser Admiral Nakhimov), it will accommodate an impressive arsenal of weapons, spacious missile cellars, cooling systems and powerful power plants.
The aviation infrastructure includes a flight deck and two hangars capable of receiving V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. The sensor system, based on the AN/SPY-6 radar, will provide comprehensive detection and tracking of air targets and missiles.
The Trump-class ships are designed to fill the gaps in capabilities caused by the decommissioning of Ticonderoga-class cruisers. Previously, it was expected that they could be replaced by a destroyer of the promising DDG(X) project, but its design was considered insufficient to accommodate the required number of VPU cells, the integration of hypersonic missiles and high-energy weapons. As a result, a choice was made in favor of a larger ship.
Intended equipment of the ship:
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The cost of the entire Trump program now stands at $ 43.5 billion: the price of the first building is expected to reach $17 billion (construction is scheduled to begin in fiscal year 2028), the second – $ 13 billion (2030), the third – from $ 11 to 11.5 billion (2031).
Major American shipyards such as Bath Iron Works, Ingalls Shipbuilding, and Newport News Shipbuilding are currently operating under labor shortages and are loaded with orders. It is possible that an expansion of production capacity will be required. It is reported that the South Korean Hanwha Philly Shipyard is being considered as a potential participant, although it has not previously built warships.
