Introducing Trump's puzzling nuclear-armed battleship
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Concept art depicting the Trump-class battleship. Image: Courtesy of the Navy
America's newly promised warship, the Trump-class neo-battleship, is an oddity.
The big picture: The future vessels — should they actually be paid for and constructed — subvert years of precedent, just like the commander in chief.
- Military thinkers have prioritized dispersion of firepower, people and supplies, especially in the Indo-Pacific. This is not that.
- Outfitting surface ships with nukes, in this case promised to be nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missiles, bucks decades of post-Cold War practice.
- Warships are named a certain way and after certain people. Here, naming conventions are also out the window.
What we're hearing: While supporters have been the loudest, critics appear to be more numerous.
- "Dumb," one defense industry executive told Axios when asked about the design. "I like the overall energy and vision in Golden Fleet, though."
- "I'm struggling to see the upside, other than lots of missile launchers and 'super lethal,'" another person familiar with the Navy's plans said. "But the downsides and complications are many."
Zoom in: The U.S. Navy's published specs for the Trump class, of which the USS Defiant will be the first, include:
- Multiple laser weapons and a railgun, both of which are power hungry and are of questionable maturity;
- Space for Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic weapons;
- The Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program Block III electronic warfare suite;
- A flight deck and hangar compatible with the V-22 Osprey and future-vertical-lift aircraft;
- A crew of 650-850, far more than what's aboard other contemporary vessels.
Friction point: The U.S. struggles to build and maintain the ships it already has on the books and in the water.
- Navy Secretary John Phelan axed four Constellation-class frigates late last year.
What's next: Two Trump-class ships are expected initially. The program could total 20-25.
Go deeper: Trump approves "Golden Fleet" of new ships and drone boats, Navy's Phelan tells Axios
