The United States Navy has confirmed that future Trump-class warships will use nuclear propulsion, marking the return of this type of system in American military vessels for the first time since the 1990s.
The information appeared in the new naval construction plan released yesterday by the U.S. Navy. In the document, the ships are identified as “BBGN“, the designation used for nuclear-powered guided missile battleships.
According to the website The War Zone, the proposal includes the construction of 15 Trump-class ships between fiscal years 2028 and 2055. The estimated cost of each vessel would be approximately US$17 billion, a figure higher than some Ford-class aircraft carriers currently under production.
The Navy states that nuclear propulsion would provide greater operational range, higher speeds, and enough power for future advanced weapon systems, including high-powered lasers and possible electromagnetic railguns.
The new ships are also expected to receive large arsenals of guided missiles, hypersonic Conventional Prompt Strike systems, and potentially nuclear-capable cruise missiles. Some previously released concepts also mentioned megawatt-class lasers for defense against drones and enemy missiles.
Despite this, the project continues to face doubts within the American naval sector itself. Navy officials have already expressed concerns regarding the costs, operational complexity, and industrial challenges involved in building large nuclear-powered ships.
The Trump-class proposal was originally announced by Donald Trump in 2025 as part of the “Golden Fleet” program, an initiative aimed at expanding the U.S. Navy and strengthening the American shipbuilding industry in response to the growth of the Chinese fleet.
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Photo: White House / USN. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
