December 30, 2025, 9:57 am
Sponsored by: Private Internet Access: https://www.piavpn.com/Perun
I thought we were done with U.S. Shipbuilding for 2025, but one last announcement had to bring us back.
And so, in what I promise is not a very early April episode, let’s talk about Battleships (or rather, the battleship-sized multi-mission ship these things are apparently meant to be).
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/PerunAU
Reading and Sourcing (partial):
Goldenfleet.navy.mil
https://www.goldenfleet.navy.mil/
U.S. Govt – Announcement of Trump-class Battleship
https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4366952/trump-announces-new-class-of-battleship/
CBO – An Analysis of the Navy’s 2025 Shipbuilding Plan
https://www.cbo.gov/publication/60732
Navy FF(X) will not have VLS
https://www.twz.com/sea/navys-new-frigate-will-not-have-vertical-launch-systems-for-missiles#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20Navy%20has%20confirmed,Vertical%20Launch%20System%20(VLS).
IISS on Constellation Class
https://www.iiss.org/online-analysis/military-balance/2025/12/constellation-consternation-frigate-decision-sets-us-navy-on-uncertain-new-course/
CRS – Navy DDG(X) Next-Generation Destroyer Program: Background and Issues for Congress
https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF11679
CSIS – The Golden Fleet’s Battleship Will Never Sail
https://www.csis.org/analysis/golden-fleets-battleship-will-never-sail
General Atomics pitches railguns missile defence
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/10/general-atomics-pitches-railgun-for-air-and-missile-defense/
Retirement of the Ohio SSGNs
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/03/retirement-of-ohio-class-ssgn-now-only-two-years-away/
Reporting on PLAN Railgun
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2019/04/chinese-navy-railgun-what-we-know-thus-far/
Type 55s entering service (2023)
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/04/china-now-has-8-type-055-destroyers-in-active-service/
Reporting on Germany LRMVs
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/09/large-remote-missile-vessels-german-navy-plans-to-procure-unmanned-arsenal-ships/
Japanese railgun test shots reporting
https://www.twz.com/sea/japanese-warship-fires-railgun-at-target-vessel-for-the-first-time
Railgun cancellation 2021
https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2021/07/01/us-navy-ditches-futuristic-railgun-eyes-hypersonic-missiles/
Examples of the ups and downs in F/A-XX Program
https://www.twz.com/air/pentagon-all-in-on-air-forces-f-47-puts-navys-f-a-xx-on-ice
https://www.twz.com/air/in-limbo-f-a-xx-naval-fighter-gets-full-funding-nod-from-congress
OSD Comptroller on US Shipbuilding Capacity
https://news.usni.org/2023/03/21/osd-comptroller-says-u-s-shipyards-cant-build-3-destroyers-a-year
Caveats & Comments:
Specially for this episode, I’ve added some additional caveats and thoughts to the pinned comment
Beyond that, all normal caveats and comments apply. In particular – I would like to note as always that this material has been created for entertainment purposes and is not intended to be a complete or comprehensive examination of the topic in question and should not be relied upon to inform financial or other similar decisions.
Any content relating to the conduct, views, activities or any aspect of any person or character in this video is included for entertainment purposes and does not represent an assertion of fact on those matters or any matters in relation to that person or character.
Care has been taken in compiling data, quotes, and other inputs from various sources but errors can occur. Quotes and included data should be considered illustrative, not definitive and their veracity should not be relied on.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 — Opening Words
00:01:57 — What Am I Talking About?
00:03:56 — Battleships 101
00:10:16 — This Design
00:22:16 — Railguns
00:25:13 — Risks and Issues
00:27:28 — Applied Defence Economics
00:36:47 — the Real Risk Here
00:52:36 — a Future Battleship?
01:05:47 — What Next?
01:08:09 — Channel Update
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