The Trump-class Guided Missile Destroyer is a next-generation multi-role surface combatant developed by the United States Navy under the strategic Golden Fleet initiative. Designed to project unmatched naval power across global theaters, it integrates hypersonic missile systems, railgun technology, advanced radar arrays, and directed-energy weapons into a modular, future-proof platform. As the most powerful surface warship ever fielded by the United States, the Trump-class stands as a cornerstone of America’s 21st-century maritime dominance doctrine.
Country users: United States
Technical Data
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Design
The Trump-class battleship destroyer is among the largest surface combatants ever built by the U.S. Navy. Its length ranges between 840 and 880 feet, with a beam of approximately 105 to 115 feet and a draft ranging from 24 to 30 feet. The full-load displacement exceeds 35,000 tons, placing the vessel in the weight category of Cold War–era cruisers or modern capital ships. The hull features stealth shaping to reduce radar cross-section, a bulbous bow for improved hydrodynamics, and RAM-coated superstructure elements to decrease infrared and electronic signatures. Internally, the ship uses modular design for easier maintenance, faster refits, and future system integrations. The hull form is optimized for both high-speed blue-water transit and survivability in multi-threat environments.
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Weapons
The main offensive punch of the Trump-class comes from its missile armament. The ship features twelve launch cells for Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) missiles, capable of deploying hypersonic weapons for rapid global strike. In addition, the vessel carries an immense 128-cell Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) battery, which can be configured with a mix of Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM), Standard Missile variants (SM-2, SM-3, SM-6), Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (ESSM), and Vertical Launch ASROC for anti-submarine warfare. The ship also integrates Surface-Launched Cruise Missile – Nuclear (SLCM-N) capabilities, offering strategic deterrence at sea.
The secondary battery includes a 32-megajoule railgun mounted on the forward deck, firing hypervelocity projectiles (HVPs) capable of defeating high-speed aerial targets and delivering kinetic strikes at over 100 nautical miles. Flanking the midsection are two 5-inch/62 caliber guns, also HVP-compatible, intended for naval surface fire support and intermediate-range engagements. Depending on the configuration, the ship is outfitted with either two 300kW or two 600kW-class directed-energy lasers, primarily for hard-kill defense against drones, cruise missiles, and fast inshore attack craft.
Defensive weapons are equally layered. The Trump-class includes two Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launchers, optimized for close-in aerial threats. Four Mk 38 30mm chain guns are positioned fore and aft to deter swarm attacks and small boat incursions. The ship also carries four ODIN (Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy) laser systems, which provide soft-kill protection against electro-optically guided threats. Rounding out its layered defense are two dedicated Counter-UxS (unmanned systems) suites, combining electronic warfare, acoustic sensors, and autonomous neutralization protocols against UAVs, USVs, and UUVs.
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Sensors, Electronic Systems, and Radars
At the core of the Trump-class’s situational awareness and fire control suite is the SPY-6 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR). With thirty-seven radar module assemblies (RMAs) distributed across four fixed arrays, the radar provides simultaneous ballistic missile tracking, long-range surveillance, and fire-control guidance. The ship also includes the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block III, offering active jamming, decoy deployment, and electronic intelligence in highly contested EM environments.
Integrated into the vessel is a full-spectrum C4ISR suite capable of hosting embarked commanders and interfacing with Navy, Joint, and Allied networks. The ship supports Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC), real-time sensor fusion, and AI-assisted threat evaluation. Its architecture is fully compatible with JADC2, enabling seamless cross-domain targeting and engagement via satellite, drone, and submarine networks.
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Engine
Propulsion of the Trump-class battleship is delivered by a Combined Gas Turbine and Diesel (CODAG) system, allowing the ship to exceed 30 knots while maintaining efficient fuel consumption at cruise speeds. The system provides rapid acceleration, maneuverability, and sufficient onboard power generation to operate energy-intensive systems such as lasers, sensors, and electromagnetic weapons simultaneously. The engineering plant is designed for future scalability toward integrated electric propulsion (IEP) if adopted in later variants.
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Aircraft and Helicopter Capability
The Trump-class battleship is equipped with a full-length flight deck and enclosed hangar complex designed to support a wide variety of aviation assets. The ship is fully compatible with the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, which offers vertical lift with extended operational range for logistics, personnel insertion, and special operations. It is also capable of operating future aircraft from the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program, such as the V-280 Valor or SB>1 Defiant-X. The hangar can accommodate unmanned aerial systems (UAS), including rotary-wing drones for ISR, targeting support, and battlefield networking. Onboard aviation facilities are modular and scalable for autonomous systems integration in future deployments.
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