US Navy to set first Trump-class battleship schedule within 60 days.

The U.S. Navy is preparing to define the initial design schedule for the BBG(X) guided-missile battleship, also referred to as the Trump-class battleship, within the next 30 to 60 days, according to Huntington Ingalls Industries CEO Chris Kastner.

As reported by Defense Daily on January 8, 2026, the U.S. Navy is preparing to define the initial design schedule for the BBG(X) guided-missile battleship, also known as the Trump-class battleship, within the next 30 to 60 days, according to Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) CEO Chris Kastner. The clarification would be the first defined timing guidance since the program’s announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump in December 2025.
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Cost estimates discussed alongside the Trump-class battleship program range from about $10 billion per ship for later units to as much as $15 billion for the first ship, planned to be named USS Defiant. (Picture source: U.S. Navy)

Chris Kastner, the chief executive of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), stated that the U.S. Navy is expected to clarify the initial design schedule of the BBG(X) guided-missile battleship within the next 30 to 60 days, marking the first concrete timing signal since the program was announced in December 2025. The BBG(X), also known as the Trump-class battleship, forms a central pillar of the Golden Fleet concept, which aims to expand the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet and revive the construction of very large warships. This clarification comes as the Navy reassesses how this new battleship could fit alongside, or replace, the future DDG(X) destroyer, while simultaneously reviewing its future FF(X) frigate plans following the cancellation of the whole Constellation-class program.

The Trump-class battleship program was publicly announced on December 22, 2025, with an initial objective of two ships and a longer-term ambition ranging from 10 and 20 to 25 hulls. The only timeframes currently indicated for the lead ship, planned to be named USS Defiant (BBG-1), point to a design phase running roughly from 2026 to 2031–2032, a construction start in the early 2030s, a launch window in the mid-to-late 2030s, and commissioning in the late 2030s or close to 2040, with no fixed or formally scheduled dates defined at this stage, as the design of the BBG(X) is still evolving. The U.S. Navy has also indicated that this program is intended to integrate and supersede work previously conducted for the DDG(X), using existing works on power generation and systems integration to accelerate development where possible. If completed, the Trump-class would represent the first class of U.S. Navy battleships built since World War II, following the retirement of the last Iowa-class battleship in 1992.

According to Navy planning parameters associated with the program, BBG(X) ships are expected to measure between 256 and 268 meters (840 and 880 feet) in length, with a beam of 32 to 35 meters (105 to 115 feet) and a full-load displacement exceeding 35,000 tonnes. Projected crew size ranges from 650 to 850 personnel, a figure well above current Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (300–380 officers and enlisted personnel) and Ticonderoga-class cruisers (roughly 330 crew members on each ship) but far below the manpower levels of the Iowa-class battleships, which required about 2,700 personnel during World War II and the Korea War, and about 1,800 personnel when modernized in the 1980s. The Trump-class is expected to achieve speeds above 30 knots (55 km/h) using a conventional integrated power system based on gas turbines and diesel generators, supplying both propulsion and electrical demand for sensors and weapon systems.

Speaking of which, the main missile battery of the BBG(X)/Trump-class is planned to include 128 Mk 41 vertical launch cells distributed between the bow and stern, complemented by a separate 12-cell launcher dedicated to the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missiles, already known on the Zumwalt-class destroyers. The U.S. Navy also stated that the Trump-class battleships would have the ability to carry the SLCM-N, a nuclear-capable sea-launched cruise missile originally developed for submarines, which would add a nuclear strike option to the surface fleet. For comparison, current Arleigh Burke-class destroyers carry 96 vertical launch cells, and Ticonderoga-class cruisers carry 122, highlighting the potential missile firepower of a much larger vessel.

Gun and close-in defense systems outlined for the Trump-class battleship include two Mk 45 127 mm naval guns and a 32-megajoule electromagnetic railgun, although the railgun is described as a potential rather than guaranteed element. Point defense is expected to rely on two RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launchers, four Mk 38 30 mm weapon systems, multiple Optical Dazzling Interdictor lasers, and additional counter-drone systems. The BBG(X) design also incorporates directed-energy weapons rated between 300 and 600 kilowatts, reflecting the Navy’s intent to use a mix of layered kinetic and non-kinetic defenses against missiles, aircraft, and unmanned systems.

Additionally, sensors and control systems are included to support air defense, missile tracking, and command roles. The Trump-class could feature the AN/SPY-6 air and missile defense radar and the AN/SLQ-32(V)7 electronic warfare suite, integrated into a command-and-control architecture sized for fleet-level operations. Aviation facilities at the stern include a flight deck and enclosed hangar sized to operate MH-60 Seahawk helicopters, CMV-22B Osprey and Bell MV-75 tiltrotors, as well as future vertical-lift aircraft, both crewed and uncrewed, such as the Bell V-247 Vigilant. This air wing is meant to support long-range surveillance, targeting, logistics, and coordination, whether the battleship operates alone, within a carrier strike group, or as the lead unit of a surface action group.

From an industrial and financial perspective, the U.S. Navy plans to lead the BBG(X)/Trump-class design effort with support from major U.S. shipbuilders over an estimated 72-month (or six-year) design phase. Early work involves Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, with additional design support assigned to specialized naval architects. Therefore, the official procurement of the lead Trump-class battleship, the USS Defiant (BBG-1), could happen in the early 2030s, suggesting an entry into service in the late 2030s or close to 2040 after construction, trials, and commissioning. Cost estimates discussed alongside the program range from about $10 billion per ship for later units to as much as $15 billion for the first ship.

This is significantly higher than the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which generally cost roughly $2 to $2.5 billion each, the Constellation-class (FFG-62) frigates, which were expected to be about $1.1 billion to $1.4 billion per hull, or the Zumwalt-class destroyers, which averaged roughly $7.5 billion per ship. The Ticonderoga-class cruisers, for its part, historically were about $1 billion per ship in the 1990s, meaning that the Trump-class battleship cost could approach or even surpass the pricetag of a Ford-class aircraft carrier, which can cost in excess of $10 billion each, well above the projected costs for the DDG(X) next-generation destroyer at roughly $3.3 billion to $4.4 billion per ship in recent planning estimates. For now, the next milestone is the Navy’s promised clarification of requirements and scheduling, which will determine whether the BBG(X)/Trump-class advances as a derivative design or follows a longer clean-sheet development path.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.