|
|
Main Menu
Home
National
Security News
Ukraine Conflict
Books
Security Information
Homeland Security
Terrorism
Special Operations
Maps
Site Map
Ads
This website is an Amazon Associate
and earns money for qualifying purchases.
Book:
US National Security
https://amzn.to/3ROvaKJ
Home > Military > Navy > Battleships > Next Generation Battleship (NGB)
Next Generation
Battleship (NGB)
The U.S. Navy is reviewing a proposal for a next-generation battleship-style surface combatant that would mark the service’s first return to heavily armored capital ships in decades, according to defense officials and congressional sources familiar with the discussions. Plans are to create a "Golden Fleet" of modern naval ships of which the NGB will be the centerpiece. (1)
Image: US Navy image (Dec 2025)
click
here for a larger image
On December 22, 2025, the Pentagon rolled out a plan for the development and build of a new guided-missile battleship. This new ship would incorporate modern technological advances to be able to fight and survive in today's and future warfighting environoments. President made the announcement of the new battleship in late December 2025. (See video of Trump's announcement, Dec 22, 2025, 26 mins)
Naming Convention for Battleships. The Pentagon made the unusual and controversial move to name this new modern ship the "Trump Class Battleship". Naming a new class of ships after a current president does not align well with long-standing U.S. Navy ship naming conventions. Historically, capital ships are named after U.S. states - as in Iowa, Missouri, New Jersey, or Wisconsin. The proposed name for the first of these battleships is the USS Defiant (BBG-1), so that could likely mean that the new battleships will be known as the "Defiant-class" battleship.
Large Cruiser or Battleship? There are many maritime 'experts' that believe this is just another large cruiser based on size, purpose, and armament. It will be, at 30,000 to 40,000 tons, a ship that is much larger than anything the U.S. has built in the past 80 years, excepting aircraft carriers. It would be smaller than the Iowa-class battleship which comes in at 55,000 tons. Battleships have historically had big guns - 16-inch guns that fire 2,000 lb projectiles. In addition, they are heavily armored. This NGB will have neither big guns or heavy armor. At best, this new ship could be called a 'battle cruiser' (BCG). The BCG stands for Battle Cruiser with guided missiles.
Battleship Mission. The US Navy describes the NGB as having three primary missions: power projection, offensive strike, and integrated air/missile defense. The battleship will be capable of operating independently or as part of a Carrier Strike Group. Depending on the mission and threat environment, it may also command its own Surface Action Group.
Technical Specifications. The ship has a proposed crew of between 650 and 850 personnel. It will move more than 30 knots and displace about 35,000 tons.
Image: US Navy, Dec 2025, click here for larger image
Power Generation. If this new class of battleships is expected to keep up with the carrier strike group will it have the right type of power? Gas turbine/ diesel engines instead of nuclear?
Proposed Weapons. Along with standard guns and missiles, the new battleships will be equipped with long range hypersonic weapons, electromagnetic rail guns, laser directed energy weapons, 5- inch guns, and high-powered based weapons. There is also the possibility that it will carry nuclear-armed missiles.
Image: US Navy, Dec 2025, click here for larger image
How Many? At this time, December 2025, the Navy is committing to two BBGs, but with hopes for 10 more, if not 25 more. It was announced that the first of this "Golden Fleet" will be ready in the early 2030s.
News Articles about the NGB
December 24, 2025, "Trump's big, bad battleship will fail", by Dan Grazier, Responsible Statecraft.
December 23, 2025, "What do we know about America's new modern battleship?", by George Allison, UK Defence Journal.
December 23, 2025, "The Golden Fleet's Battleship Will Never Sail", by Mark F. Cancian, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). This new battleship will take years to design, cost $9 billion each to build, and contravenes the Navy's new concept of operations, which envisions distributed firepower.
December 22, 2025, "What We Know About the Trump Class "Battleship"", The War Zone.
December 22, 2025, "Trump Announces New Class of Battleship", Pentagon News. The Navy intends to develop a new class of large surface combatants or battleships.
Endnotes
1. Watch a video about "The Golden Fleet", Whitehouse.gov,
December 23, 2025, 1 min.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/videos/the-navys-new-battleship-the-golden-fleet-%F0%9F%87%BA%F0%9F%87%B8/
Home > Military > Navy > Battleships > Next Generation Battleship (NGB)
|
|
Books on National Security and Defense
https://bookshop.org/lists/national-security-and-defense
We are an affiliate of Bookshop.org and will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.