This week, the U.S. Navy announced that it will extend the service life of three of its older Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers, namely the USS Cape St. George (CG-71), USS Gettysburg (CG-64), and USS Chosin (CG-65). The news comes from an official statement issued by Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, who stated that these ships will gain an additional ten years of service life, covering fiscal years 2026 to 2029.
It’s worth noting that the U.S. Navy anticipates this will be possible due to extensive hull modernization work for each vessel, as well as upgrades to their mechanical equipment. According to the Navy, the USS Gettysburg (CG-64) and USS Chosin (CG-65) have already undergone this work, with upgrades completed in 2023 and 2024, respectively, even as plans moved forward for their retirement by 2027. Meanwhile, the modernization process for USS Cape St. George (CG-71) is still underway at BAE Systems shipyards in Virginia, with the Navy planning for its completion within this fiscal year.
Along these lines, it’s important to remember that these three ships are the only ones to have successfully completed the Ticonderoga-class modernization program launched by the U.S. Navy in the past decade. The program’s primary goal was to keep 11 of the 22 available cruisers in active service through 2030. As it turned out, eight of the ships selected for the program faced insurmountable technical and budgetary challenges, leading the Navy to begin their retirement; USS Vicksburg (retired in late June) and USS Cowpens (retired in late August) are illustrative examples.
Regarding the matter, Secretary Carlos Del Toro stated, “After learning hard lessons from the cruiser modernization program, we are only extending the ships that have completed modernization and have the material readiness necessary to continue advancing the Navy’s mission.” These hard lessons reportedly cost nearly a billion dollars, while also putting the U.S. Navy at odds with the U.S. Congress over differing views on the ships’ futures.
It should also be considered that just days before this announcement, the U.S. Navy disclosed its intentions to modernize a fleet of 12 Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers to extend their service life. These ships belong to the oldest variant, known as Flight I. Authorization to obtain the necessary funds to advance this effort has already been requested, with a goal of securing approximately $1.3 billion in the fiscal year 2026 budget, to which another $4.7 billion would be added to complete the program.
Images used for illustrative purposes
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