- CBO estimates that 15 Trump-class aircraft carriers would cost $275 billion, with a projected $23.4 billion for each individual ship.
- Based on CBO’s assumptions about the number of years it would take to build the ships, the agency says the average annual cost for the program would be $23.4 billion over eight years.
- CBO says the potential cost of the aircraft carriers is likely to depend on future procurement plans, which could be affected by the pace of production and delivery.
Based on an analysis by the U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the plan to build 15 new aircraft carriers for the U.S. Navy under the Trump-class program could cost $275 billion. The materials note that the CBO’s calculations take into account the problems of forecasting the costs of American defense procurement.
According to CBO data, which look at the construction of 15 aircraft carriers over 15 years, the agency says the program would cost $18 billion. For the planned aircraft carrier program, the CBO estimates total costs at $23.4 billion, while for 14 years — from $10.2 billion to $18 billion. The materials add that this is because the longer the construction period, the more difficult it is to forecast costs.
The materials also state that CBO warns: the aircraft carrier program could take eight years or more. It also notes that the plan for the U.S. aircraft carrier fleet, which includes a pause in construction, could extend the schedule for the next ships. The materials say that the new aircraft carriers could be built at a cost of $11 billion to $18 billion.
In its report, CBO outlines the potential risks from the uncertainty of future costs. It points out that new aircraft carriers would likely be built by Bath Iron Works or Ingalls Shipbuilding, which have long been responsible for building U.S. Navy ships. The materials also note that the U.S. Navy’s future procurement plans could be affected by the pace of production and delivery.
In addition, the materials say that in the next 2025 year Trump will announce that the aircraft carriers could be built over the next two and a half years. The materials do not specify the exact timeline, but note that the construction schedule could depend on procurement and production capacity.