CBO estimates cost of Donald Trump-class battleship fleet at $275 billion

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported on Wednesday that a planned fleet of 15 nuclear-powered Donald Trump-class battleships could cost the United States approximately $275 billion. According to the independent agency's analysis, the first vessel in the class is projected to cost $23.4 billion, while the subsequent fourteen ships would average roughly $18 billion each. For comparison, the USS Gerald Ford, currently the world’s largest aircraft carrier, had a construction cost of $13.3 billion in 2008, which adjusts to over $20 billion in 2026 currency.

First announced in December, the project represents a departure from standard U.S. Navy customs, as ships are typically named after former presidents who have already completed their terms in office. The proposed vessels are designed to carry an extensive array of advanced weaponry, including anti-aircraft systems, surface-to-surface missiles, hypersonic missiles, and nuclear-capable cruise missiles. The report highlights the extreme financial scale of the fleet, positioning these ships among the most expensive naval assets ever developed by the United States.