Washington DC, April 23 (ANI) — The United States Navy has placed a proposed next-generation battleship programme, BB(X) or “Trump-class,” at the centre of its USD 377.5 billion Fiscal Year 2027 budget request to accelerate fleet modernisation and counter the rapid growth of China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
Released by the Department of the Navy, the FY27 request represents a 23 percent increase over the prior year and is part of President Donald Trump’s USD 1.5 trillion national defence topline. The plan blends large-scale shipbuilding, aircraft procurement and munitions expansion, with the BB(X) design and development presented as the most notable element.
Former Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan, speaking at the Sea-Air-Space 2026 event, described the programme as strategy-driven and focused on producible, generational capability. He said the BBG(X) will be built for future wars and designed for efficient production, enabling commanders to avoid trade-offs among air defence, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW) and long-range strike. According to Phelan, the ships will operate with unmanned systems, embarked command teams, layered defences and long-range fires, anchoring the high end of a “Fleet of the Future” into the 2030s and beyond.
Shortly after the budget’s release and Phelan’s remarks, the department announced he had stepped down with immediate effect. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed Undersecretary Hung Cao will serve as Acting Secretary of the Navy.
At the core of the shipbuilding plan is USD 65.8 billion to procure 34 vessels — 18 battle force ships and 16 auxiliary platforms — while continuing BB(X) design work. Alongside submarines, destroyers and amphibious ships, officials describe the BB(X) as the future centrepiece of a “Golden Fleet Initiative” intended to revitalise the maritime industrial base.
Trump first announced the battleship programme on December 22, approving a new class of 30,000–40,000-ton warships and signalling a doctrinal shift toward heavy surface combatants. The lead ship, USS Defiant, is expected to begin construction in the early 2030s, with long-term plans for a fleet of 20–25 vessels. The ships are intended to supplant the previously planned DDG(X) destroyer while incorporating advanced technologies.
Phelan has emphasised an offensive role for the platform, drawing on historic battleship imagery: “The Iowa was designed to go on the attack with the biggest guns, and that’s exactly what will define the Trump-class battleships: offensive firepower from the biggest guns of our era,” he said. The Navy says the new ships will pair heavy naval artillery with hypersonic weapons, electromagnetic railguns and directed-energy systems.
The FY27 request also outlines broader force expansion. Ship procurement plans include one Columbia-class submarine, two Virginia-class submarines, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, a new FF(X) frigate, and various amphibious and logistics vessels. Funding continues for Ford-class carriers CVN 80 and CVN 81.
Rear Admiral Ben Reynolds highlighted procurement scale: “This is the money that builds the future fleet. It funds the acquisition of 34 new ships and 123 new aircraft, directly translating dollars into the steel and systems that will guarantee our maritime dominance for decades to come.”
Aircraft procurement is budgeted at USD 34.4 billion, covering 47 F-35 fighters, 12 P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, six E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning planes, 22 CH-53K heavy-lift helicopters, three MQ-25 carrier-based refuelling drones and five MQ-9A Sea Guardian drones. Weapons procurement receives USD 22.6 billion for systems such as Standard Missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles. The Marine Corps is slated to receive USD 6.3 billion for ground systems, including NMESIS launchers and Naval Strike Missiles.
Operational readiness is a priority, with USD 150 billion allocated for maintenance and training to push the Navy toward an 80 percent combat-ready posture. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle framed the request as a strategic pivot: “The FY27 budget request is a definitive order to shift our Navy from a peacetime posture to a warfighting footing. We are not just observing the security environment; we are actively shaping it with credible tailored forces to ensure peace through strength.”
Reviving battleships marks a departure from decades of carrier-centric doctrine. Battleships last saw combat in the Gulf War during shore bombardment missions; historically they dominated naval warfare from the late 19th century until aircraft carriers superseded them in World War II. The US built 59 battleships between 1888 and 1947, with USS Missouri the last US battleship and HMS Vanguard (commissioned 1946) the last battleship ever built.
The BB(X) push comes amid growing concern in Washington over the PLAN’s expansion. A Congressional report noted China operates the world’s largest navy with more than 370 platforms, projected to reach 395 by 2025 and 435 by 2030. By contrast, the US Navy had 296 battle force ships as of September 30, 2024, with a projected slight decline to 294 by 2030. US officials have repeatedly expressed alarm at the pace of China’s shipbuilding and its industrial scale.
In its budget statement, the Navy said, “We are making key investments in the Golden Fleet Initiative that will revitalise America’s maritime industrial base and restore American maritime dominance.” (ANI)
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