
The US Navy's proposed Trump-class nuclear-powered guided missile battleship programme could cost an estimated $275 billion for 15 vessels, according to a new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report. The lead ship alone…
The US Navy's proposed Trump-class nuclear-powered guided missile battleship programme could cost an estimated $275 billion for 15 vessels, according to a new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report. The lead ship alone is projected at $23.4 billion, with subsequent vessels costing around $18 billion each. The 35,000-tonne ships would carry hypersonic missiles, lasers, and a railgun, making them the largest US surface combatants since World War II. The CBO warns the programme could strain US shipbuilding capacity, as only one shipyard is currently certified to build nuclear-powered surface warships.

The staggering $275 billion price tag for the Trump-class battleships, as estimated by the CBO, invites comparisons to India's own naval ambitions. While some may point to this as an example of unchecked military spending, the real story is about technological and industrial capacity. The US struggles to build even a dozen such ships in 30 years; India, with its indigenous aircraft carrier programme, faces even steeper challenges. The test is not the cost on paper, but whether the US can deliver these ships on time and within budget, a question that matters for global naval power balance.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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