25 March 2024

US Navy plans to decommission 19 ships in FY 2025, 10 before the end of their service lives

by Michael Fabey

The US Navy is looking to decommission USS Jackson . (Michael Fabey)

The US Navy (USN) wants to decommission 19 vessels during fiscal year (FY) 2025, including 10 ships before they have reached planned end of their expected service lives (ESLs), according to the Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels for Fiscal Year 2025, often called the USN's 30-year shipbuilding plan, sent to US lawmakers on 19 March.

The shipbuilding plan details the USN's long-term strategy for fleet composition, including ship acquisitions and decommissionings.

The proposed pre-ESL decommissionings include two guided-missile cruisers (CGs) – USS Shiloh (CG 67), which has been in service for 33 years and USS Lake Erie (CG 70), which has been in service for 32 years – with ESLs of 35 years each. Both vessels are being slated to be logistic support assets (LSAs), the plan noted.

Another two CGs – USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) and USS Normandy (CG 60) – which have reached their 35-year ESLs, or beyond, are also being proposed for decommissioning to be LSAs, according to the plan.

The proposed decommissioning of CGs in recent years has prompted debates between USN officials and members of Congress, who wish to keep CGs as part of the fleet in their traditional roles because of the ships' capacity for missile power and other naval combat attributes.

“The DoN [Department of Navy] assesses that the best use of resources is investing in combat readiness, capabilities or capacity not achievable in these legacy platforms,” the USN said in the shipbuilding plan.

The US Navy (USN) wants to decommission 19 vessels during fiscal year (FY) 2025, including 10 ships ...

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