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Trump Announces $150B Ten-Ship Battleship Plan, Experts Warn Liability

8/2/2026

Summary

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump announced at Mar-a-Lago on Dec. 22 2025 a ten-ship Trump-class battleship plan.
The fleet could cost about $150 billion.
Emma Salisbury of the Foreign Policy Research Institute said the design uses gas-turbine propulsion, contrary to Donald Trump’s claim of nuclear power, warned the many added systems make the ship a liability, and noted its missile firepower is only marginally better than a U.S. Ticonderoga-class cruiser.

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Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump announced at Mar-a-Lago on Dec. 22 2025 a ten-ship Trump-class battleship plan.
The fleet could cost about $150 billion.
Emma Salisbury of the Foreign Policy Research Institute said the design uses gas-turbine propulsion, contrary to Donald Trump’s claim of nuclear power, warned the many added systems make the ship a liability, and noted its missile firepower is only marginally better than a U.S. Ticonderoga-class cruiser.