Navy Moves to Nuclear-Powered Trump-Class Battleships

The U.S. Navy now plans to power the Trump-class BBGNs with nuclear reactors, purchasing 15 ships from FY2028–2055 at about $17 billion each to gain extended endurance, higher power, and capacity for advanced weapons and command-and-control functions; the move reverses earlier doubts, but introduces higher cost and complexity amid tight shipyard capacity, with the first vessel, USS Defiant, expected around FY2036.