The US Navy divested of the USS Cowpens after years of modernisation. (US Navy)
The US Navy (USN) has agreed to change its ship-modernisation plan developed for guided-missile cruisers (CGs) following a critique and recommendation by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) in its December 2024 report.
“The cruiser modernization effort's oversight and management are unique compared to how the navy typically oversees other surface ship maintenance and modernization,” the GAO noted in the report, Navy Ship Modernization Poor Cruiser Outcomes Demonstrate Need for Better Planning and Quality Oversight in Future Efforts.
“When each ship was inducted into or entered cruiser modernization, the control and responsibility of the ship – along with responsibility for allocating and disbursing funding – was transferred from the fleet (Surface Forces Atlantic or Surface Forces Pacific) to Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA),” the GAO reported.
“Control of the ships was transferred back to the fleet midway through each ship's modernization, but NAVSEA remained responsible for completing the modernization effort, according to navy officials,” the GAO said, adding, “For other surface ships, the fleet maintains control and responsibility of the ship going through maintenance. This can include modernization, and overseeing funding, whereas NAVSEA is primarily responsible for providing system expertise as well as contract award and administration.”
One of the GAO report recommendations taken up by the navy is that the USN secretary should codify the cruiser modernisation lesson learned that the ownership of vessels should not be transferred from the fleet to NAVSEA for major modernisation efforts.
The lessons learned from the USN CG modernisation efforts were expensive ones, according to the GAO.
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