U.S. Navy to Use Nuclear Propulsion in New Battleships

The U.S. Navy will equip its future Trump class battleships with nuclear propulsion systems, according to the service's latest annual shipbuilding plan released on May 12, 2026. The vessels, formally designated BBGNs, mark the first nuclear-powered surface combatants the Navy has pursued since the 1990s.

The plan calls for acquiring 15 of the ships between fiscal year 2028 and 2055, with two ordered back-to-back in fiscal years 2030 and 2031. An initial estimate places the cost of each battleship at $17 billion, exceeding the projected $13 billion to $15 billion unit cost for the next Ford class aircraft carriers.

Nuclear propulsion will provide effectively unlimited range and substantially increased electrical power for advanced weapons and sensors. The ships will displace approximately 35,000 tons, measure 840 to 880 feet in length, and achieve speeds greater than 30 knots.

The Navy described the vessels as providing a major increase in combat power through longer endurance, higher speed and the ability to carry advanced weapon systems. Their primary role will be delivering high-volume, long-range offensive fires while serving as a survivable forward command and control platform.

Officials stressed the battleships are not replacements for destroyers. Each ship will feature large vertical launch system arrays capable of firing both nuclear and conventional missiles, including hypersonic weapons. The armament will also include an electromagnetic railgun, two 5-inch naval guns, laser directed-energy weapons and additional close-in defense systems.

Vastly increased power generation will support electronic warfare tools and high-output lasers, reducing reliance on expendable munitions. The internal volume will allow each battleship to embark a fleet command staff, enabling it to lead a surface action group, integrate with a carrier strike group or operate independently.

The Navy highlighted the design's ability to distribute force capability while defeating advanced threats.

The decision represents a sharp reversal from the Navy's position four weeks earlier. In the proposed fiscal 2027 budget released last month, the service described the vessels as conventionally powered ships using diesel generators, gas turbines and propulsion motors.

Then-Secretary of the Navy John Phelan told reporters on April 21 that nuclear propulsion was possible but unlikely as officials weighed trade-offs between persistence and speed of delivery. Phelan was fired the following day. President Trump told reporters on April 23 that the dismissal stemmed from conflicts over shipbuilding plans, describing Phelan as a hard charger who clashed with others on building and buying new ships.

The New York Times reported, citing anonymous sources, that the exit was linked to disagreements with the president over accelerating production of the Trump class battleships. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle had expressed similar reservations in January, noting that nuclear power would add a construction tail that pushed the timeline beyond operational needs.

The Navy did not immediately explain what changed in the intervening weeks.

Nuclear-powered surface ship construction in the United States is currently limited to Newport News Shipbuilding, which builds Ford class carriers and has experienced delays and cost growth. The same shipyards building nuclear submarines are already under strain from the Columbia class ballistic missile submarine program and commitments under the AUKUS agreement to supply Virginia class boats to Australia.

The shipbuilding plan emphasizes lessons from prior programs and a shift toward modern digital engineering, advanced production practices and artificial intelligence-enabled design tools. It calls for front-loading production engineering, precision modular construction and deeper integration across the industrial base to minimize rework and control costs.

The first ship, to be named USS Defiant, is scheduled for ordering in fiscal 2028 and delivery in fiscal 2036. The program will extend well into the next presidential administration, leaving room for potential changes in scale, scope or cancellation.

Only one nuclear-powered surface combatant, Russia's Admiral Nakhimov, currently operates anywhere in the world.

“Our Fleet deserves and our national security requires the most comprehensive capability a surface combatant can provide, not just what we can make do with tradeoffs.”

“The nuclear-powered Battleship is designed to provide the Fleet with a significant increase in combat power by longer endurance, higher speed, and accommodating advanced weapon systems required for modern warfare.”