The crew of the Virginia-class attack submarine USS Idaho marches in formation during a christening ceremony at General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard facility in Groton, Conn., March 16, 2024. (John Narewski/U.S. Navy)
The Navy is asking for the biggest slice of the record-setting financial pie the Pentagon is requesting from Congress for the defense budget for 2027 released Tuesday.
The sea service would get $377.5 billion — a 24.3% increase over last year — to pay for everything from more ballistic missile submarines to new military housing projects.
“We are a maritime nation, and a maritime nation needs the strongest Navy in the world,” said Rear Adm. Ben Reynolds, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy.
At the top of the wish list are two brand-new kinds of ships — a BBG (X), the first “Trump-class” guided-missile battleship, and the FFX, the first of a new type of frigate based on a Coast Guard cutter design.
The proposed budget would include $1 billion in advance funds to begin work on the 30,000-ton battleship. It would receive another $837 million in research-and-development funds. The Navy would ask for $17 billion in procurement funds for the battleship next year. Plans call for three battleships in all, with the second bought for $13 billion in FY 2030 and the third for $11.5 billion in FY 2031.
USS Defiant, the first Trump-class battleship. (U.S. Navy )
The battleship is at the center of Trump’s “Golden Fleet” plan, which also includes the new frigate to be modeled on a modified Coast Guard National Security Cutter. It replaces the planned Constellation-class frigate that was scuttled by Navy Secretary John Phelan late last year. Only two ships, USS Constellation and USS Congress, will be completed.
The $65.8 billion in shipbuilding money would go toward all or portions of 18 “battle force” ships and 16 support ships. They include:
Incremental funding for one Columbia-class nuclear ballistic missile submarine and one additional boat.
Full funding for two Virginia-class nuclear fast attack submarines and advance procurement for another four submarines.
Continues incremental on third and fourth Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers.
One Arleigh Burke guided-missile destroyer.
Two AS(X) submarine tenders.
One Explorer class ocean surveillance ship.
Two John Lewis-class fleet oilers.
One Landing Platform Dock.
One America-class Landing Helicopter Assault Ship.
Six Medium Landing Ships.
The Navy is also doubling its 2026 requests for aircraft to a total of $34.4 billion, to include the Navy and Marine Corps. The funds would go for 123 fixed-wing, rotary-wing and unmanned aircraft.
The Navy would receive 37 F-35C Lightning II carrier-launched attack jets, and the Marines would get 10 F-35B short/vertical takeoff and landing variants of the Lightning II. The Navy also requests six E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning planes, 12 P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft, 18 KC-130J Hercules transport/tankers, and 10 UC-12W Huron light transports. Rotary aircraft would include 22 CH-53K King Stallion helicopters. Unmanned aircraft include three MQ-25 Stingrays and five MQ-9A Reapers.
Weapons requests include 4,296 missiles, torpedoes and bombs. Some of the largest requests include 785 Tomahawk missiles, 540 Standard Missiles, 512 Small Diameter Bombs II, 494 Advanced Medium Range air-to-air missiles and 405 PAC-3 Patriot missiles.
The Navy and Lockheed Martin announced Tuesday that the a ship-launched PAC-3 interceptor version of the Patriot missile — primarily ground based — would be integrated into the Aegis ship defense system.
The Navy request includes $70.1 billion for its 621,500 sailors and Marines, $111 billion for operations and maintenance, $36.2 billion for research and development, $8.5 billion for 64 military construction projects around the world, $9.8 billion for unaccompanied housing and $1.5 billion for family housing.
