The US Navy stated in its annual shipbuilding plan, released on 11/5, that "atomic-powered battleships are designed to significantly enhance fleet combat capability due to their more sustained operational endurance, higher speed, and advanced weapon systems essential for modern warfare."

The service added that the Trump-class warship's primary role will be to deliver high-intensity, long-range firepower and serve as a highly survivable forward command platform. It is not intended as a destroyer replacement.

Simulation image of the Trump-class warship. *Graphic: US Navy*.

Apart from aircraft carriers, the US Navy has not operated nuclear-powered surface combatants since the 1990s, when the cruiser USS Long Beach, the frigate USS Bainbridge, and four Virginia-class cruisers were decommissioned. This historical context highlights the significance of the proposed shift for the Trump-class.

This plan was announced about a month after former US Navy Secretary John Phelan suggested it was unlikely the Trump-class warship would be nuclear-powered. In its budget proposal for fiscal year 2027, the US Navy still described the Trump-class warship as using "diesel generators, gas turbines, and propulsion motors", not nuclear power, indicating a potential divergence in planning or a future change in direction.

Nuclear propulsion provides warships with a nearly unlimited operational range and significantly increases power generation capacity. However, this technology also makes warships more expensive and complex in terms of design, operation, and maintenance.

Nuclear-powered surface vessels are relatively rare globally, even among nuclear powers. Currently, only Russia operates nuclear-powered surface warships that are not aircraft carriers: two Project 1144 Orlan heavy cruisers, the Admiral Nakhimov and the Pyotr Veliky.

A model of the Trump-class warship displayed in January. *Photo: War Zone*.

Although described by the US as a battleship, the Trump-class warship's appearance and weapon systems resemble large cruisers and destroyers currently under development by many nations. The US Navy stated the warship will have a displacement of approximately 35,000 tons, about three times that of the latest Flight III variant of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. This vessel is expected to be 256-268 meters long, 32-35 meters wide, with a top speed exceeding 55 km/h.

The Trump-class warship will be capable of launching both nuclear and conventional missiles, including hypersonic weapons, from a large vertical launch system. It will also feature an electromagnetic railgun, two 127 mm naval guns, laser weapons, and other systems for close-in defense.

The US Navy plans to acquire 15 Trump-class warships between fiscal years 2028 and 2055. Preliminary estimates suggest each vessel will cost 17 billion USD, making it more expensive than even the most costly Ford-class supercarrier in US history.

By Pham Giang (According to War Zone)