US President Donald Trump has acquired an enemy for his future battleships that cannot be defeated at missile range: a new majority in Congress. The Democrats won both chambers and will be able to change the funding for the program starting in January 2027. Her old critics are competing for the leadership of the defense committees. The Defiant ship still exists in the plans, but the political risk has already found specific executors.
Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, announced his intention to chair the committee on November 4. Joe Courtney, his colleague who heads the Naval Subcommittee, could also take over as chairman. Over the summer, both tried to remove spending on the battleship from the defense bill. The Senate Military Committee, even with a Republican majority, did not include the requested $1 billion in its version. The conflict has long gone beyond the Democrats' distaste for the presidential name on the ship.
Behind that name is an estimate of $275 billion: that's how much the Congressional Budget Office calculated for 15 nuclear warships at 2026 prices. The first will cost about $23.4 billion, and the others will cost $18 billion each. The procurement plan covers the years 2028-2056. Even a successful first budget leaves behind decades of spending that a presidential order cannot pay for. The new Congress accepts the plan before the lead ship is commissioned, with the refusal to further extend the commitments not yet requiring the removal of the finished battleship.
The subject of the military conflict is quite measurable. According to the Ministry of Budgets, the cost of a battleship in production is comparable to the purchase of about 5 new Arlie Barak destroyers. Some destroyers are more expensive to maintain, but they can operate in different areas and undergo repairs one at a time. The large ship was promised power reserves for advanced weapons and heavy missiles. The Pentagon will have to prove that these benefits justify concentrating such a large share of the procurement in one building.