The U.S. is set to massively expand its shipbuilding! Media: U.S. Navy's shipbuilding funding request in the 2027 fiscal year proposal has increased by nearly 50%, marking the highest level since 1962.

The White House unveiled the 2027 fiscal year budget proposal on Friday, seeking a 44% surge in defense spending to $1.5 trillion. According to the budget documents, the Pentagon's new shipbuilding funding request ranks among the highest since the Korean War, comparable to Reagan-era plans for building 600 ships and the nuclear submarine expansion programs of the 1960s.

In the total $1.5 trillion 2027 fiscal year national security budget proposal—divided into base budget and budget reconciliation—the U.S. Navy seeks a total of $65.8 billion in shipbuilding funds as President Trump advances multiple new ship classes under his "Golden Fleet" concept.

According to Pentagon budget documents, the U.S. Navy requested $60.2 billion for shipbuilding in the base budget and an additional $5.6 billion in budget reconciliation. Data from the Congressional Budget Office shows that, when adjusted for inflation, this new funding request represents the second-highest shipbuilding budget proposal since 1955. In real dollar terms, the highest previous request was recorded in 1962, during the U.S. Navy’s “41 for Freedom” ballistic missile nuclear submarine program.

A two-page White House fact sheet details the so-called “streamlined” budget proposal, noting that the 2027 budget request calls for constructing 41 ships across government departments—but provides no breakdown by vessel type or specific procurement agencies. Another section of the fact sheet states that the Trump administration is requesting the construction of “18 combat vessels and 16 non-combat vessels,” totaling 34 naval vessels.

The White House fact sheet writes: “The 2027 budget will establish President Trump’s ‘Golden Fleet,’ including initial funding for the ‘Trump-class’ battleships and next-generation frigates, as well as increasing capacity at public shipyards and improving overall ship production.”

The U.S. Navy hopes to build two Virginia-class attack nuclear submarines, one Columbia-class strategic nuclear submarine, one FF(X) frigate, one Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, one San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, one America-class amphibious assault ship, six McLane-class medium landing ships, two AS(X) submarine supply ships, two John Lewis-class fleet oilers, one “special mission ship,” one Victory-class ocean surveillance ship, one strategic sealift ship, one bulk fuel ship, one hospital ship, one secondhand sealift ship, four “coastal connectors,” five fireboats, and two LCAC hovercraft life extension programs.

The document states: “This budget also supports strategic sealift ships, hospital ships, maritime cargo replenishment tankers, special mission vessels, submarine supply ships, and other vessels critical to logistics.”

Reporting by the U.S. Naval Institute News, more details of the Pentagon’s budget are expected to be released later this month. As for new projects, the U.S. Navy will continue advancing the “Trump-class” battleship program and a frigate project based on the U.S. Coast Guard’s legendary National Security Cutters.

Last December, the Trump administration announced the “Golden Fleet” initiative, centered around building new battleships. U.S. Navy Secretary John C. Phelan also canceled the Constellation-class frigate program—a project long plagued by labor shortages at the Wisconsin shipyard and persistent design changes, leading to slow progress. Instead, the Navy will procure an upgraded version of the National Security Cutter from Ingalls Shipbuilding, part of HII Corporation.

The 2027 fiscal year budget request calls for a base budget of $1.15 trillion, with an additional $350 billion allocated through budget reconciliation. The total $1.5 trillion defense spending includes funds for research and maintenance of nuclear weapons by the U.S. Department of Energy.

The 2027 fiscal year defense budget request, unveiled Friday, represents a $44.1 billion increase over the 2026 fiscal year budget—a proposed 44% rise, the largest annual increase in U.S. modern history, even surpassing the increases seen during the early 1980s under President Reagan.

Todd Harrison, a budget analyst at Washington think tank the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy, believes that even accounting for inflation, the proposed budget is the largest in U.S. history, exceeding even the peak levels during World War II. Harrison notes, “The peak of WWII spending occurred in 1945, equivalent to slightly under $1.2 trillion in today’s dollars. Therefore, this budget will far exceed that figure.”

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1861544292123656/

Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author