‘Trump-class’ ultra-expensive battleships: US strengthens its naval forces

The first of the U.S. Navy’s proposed “Trump-class” battleships could cost up to $22 billion, a price tag that would make it one of the most expensive US military vessels in US history, Bloomberg writes.

The initial cost estimate for the ship was released on Thursday by Congressional Budget Office naval forces analyst Eric Labs at a Navy surface warfare conference in Virginia. His lowest-cost scenario was $15.1 billion.

The guided-missile battleship would be twice as large as any cruiser or destroyer the Navy has built since World War II, but about one-third the size of the Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier that’s now the most expensive US warship.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans for the new vessel in December, saying the ship would be part of his “Golden Fleet” plan to revive US shipbuilding and overhaul the Navy.