Plans unveiled for US largest battleships, triple the size of Arleigh Burke-class destroyer

Photo: US Navy

The US Navy has unveiled plans to build a new class of battleships, signalling a major shift in surface combatant design.

The plans were revealed by US President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan, alongside Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The intent is to construct a new class of American-designed battleships that will be “the most lethal surface combatant ever constructed”. 

The first vessel, USS Defiant (BBG-1), would inaugurate what the navy is calling the Trump class battleship, envisioned as a ship that would be capable of distributing more firepower across naval formations than any existing class of warship.

“The President has been clear – we must bring back our American maritime industrial might, and he has told me many times that as Secretary of the Navy it is my job to equip our sailors to win the fight at sea with the finest ships in our history,” stated Phelan. “Now when a conflict arises, you’re going to ask us two questions: where is the carrier, and where is the battleship.”

According to the navy, these new battleships will stand as the centerpiece of the navy’s Golden Fleet initiative and will be ‘the first of their kind’, providing dominant firepower and a decisive advantage over adversaries. They will integrate the ‘most advanced deep-strike weapons of today’ with the revolutionary systems of the years ahead, it was highlighted.

Additionally, the new battleships would be roughly three times the size of an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, allowing for significantly larger missile magazines and expanded command-and-control capabilities.

Furthermore, the Trump class will be capable of operating in a traditional integrated air and missile defense role with a carrier strike group or commanding its own surface action group for surface and anti-submarine warfare efforts, in addition to delivering long-range hypersonic strategic fires and quarterbacking the operations of an entire fleet as the central command control node.

“As we forge the future of our Navy’s Fleet, we need a larger surface combatant and the Trump class Battleships meet that requirement,” commented Adm. Daryl Caudle, 34th Chief of Naval Operations.“We will ensure continuous improvement, intellectually honest assessments about the requirement to effectively deter and win in the 2030s and beyond, and disciplined execution resulting in a Fleet unparalleled in lethality, adaptability and strength.”

Trump-class battleship – Specifications
The introduction of the Trump class symbolizes the Navy’s 250-year commitment to ‘innovation and maritime dominance’.

The vessel will be a large surface combatant with an overall length of 840–880 feet (256–268 meters), a beam of 105–115 feet (32–35 meters), and a draft between 24–30 feet (7–9 meters), giving it a displacement greater than 35,000 tons and a top speed exceeding 30 knots.

Its crew complement ranges from 650–850 personnel, and the planned class size is 20–25 ships, indicating a major fleet program rather than a limited prototype run.

The primary mission of the Trump-class will be power projection, offensive strike, and integrated air/missile defense.

The battleship will be acquired using a navy-led, industry-collaborative design team approach to accelerate design and construction.

Source:  navaltoday.com