A U.S. congressional panel has raised concerns about the feasibility and strategic value of the Biden administration’s "Golden Fleet" initiative, which includes a proposed nuclear-powered guided-missile battleship known as BBG (X) or the "Trump-class." The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) voiced reservations about the potential strain the program could place on the nation’s limited nuclear shipbuilding infrastructure and called for a thorough assessment of the project.

In a key development, Congressman Joe Courtney, a Democrat and member of the HASC’s Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, introduced an amendment requiring the Secretary of the Navy to submit a detailed report by March 2027. The report must analyze how the BBG (X) could be constructed without disrupting ongoing nuclear-powered shipbuilding programs critical to the U.S. Navy. The amendment passed as part of the 2027 national defense budget bill.

Courtney highlighted that the United States currently operates just two shipyards capable of building nuclear-powered vessels, with only one actively producing surface ships. Additionally, there is a single domestic supplier of naval nuclear reactors, factors that contribute to concerns about industrial capacity limits. The committee expressed apprehension over the aggressive timeline proposed for the BBG (X), warning that it could overextend the maritime industrial base.

An earlier attempt by Courtney to remove $1 billion in funding for the battleship program was unsuccessful. He criticized the decision to allocate funds for a vessel that lacks a finalized design, arguing that it contradicts lessons learned from previous U.S. shipbuilding setbacks. Courtney also raised doubts about the operational relevance of large battleships in modern contested maritime environments.

To underscore his point, Courtney referenced the 2022 sinking of the Russian flagship Moskva by Ukrainian Neptune missiles—a relatively short-range missile system—suggesting that the risk environment has become increasingly dangerous. He warned that the People’s Liberation Army’s advanced Dongfeng missile family, particularly the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile widely known as a "carrier killer," presents a far greater threat to large surface vessels. The DF-21D has an estimated range of 1,800 kilometers and is regarded as a first-of-its-kind weapon capable of targeting aircraft carriers. The DF-26B missile, also part of China’s arsenal, is capable of striking U.S. Pacific territories such as Guam, extending the strategic threat.

These developments underscore ongoing challenges for Washington as it seeks to revitalize its naval industrial base and counter China's expanding maritime capabilities. The congressional scrutiny of the Golden Fleet program reflects a broader debate over the future composition of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet and the balance between cutting-edge technology, industrial capacity, and strategic necessity.