Official U.S. Navy Rendering of the Trump-class Battleship USS Defiant (BBG-1)

The first Trump-class battleship could cost up to about $21 billion if ordered today, with the price inching toward $22 billion if ordered in 2030, according to an estimate put forward by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

Eric Labs, an analyst with the CBO’s national security division, said in a presentation Thursday that based on cost-by-weight estimates, the lead battleship, USS Defiant (BBG-1) could range in cost from $14.3 billion to $20.6 billion if ordered today. Those estimates vary depending on the ultimate displacement — or weight — of the ship, as well as differing depending on the details of which historical U.S. warship is used to inform the assessment, according to presentation slides published by the CBO.

If the Navy waits to order its first battleship until 2030, the price of the first battleship could increase to anywhere from $15.1 billion to $21.6 billion.

Follow on ships could cost anywhere from $9 billion to $13 billion per vessel if orders begin today, or from $10 billion to $15 billion if the first ship order is deferred until 2030, the CBO presentation stated.

Follow The Stealth Channel on Social media!