Washington: The US Navy is keeping three cruisers in service for three additional years each – just after extending the service life for 12 destroyers.
The service announced that the Gettysburg, Chosin, and Cape St. George will now remain in service up until fiscal year 2029, rather than 2026. These cruisers have received modernisation updates including “extensive hull,” mechanical and engineering, and combat system upgrades, according to the Navy. The Gettysburg and Chosin wrapped up these modifications in fiscal years 2023 and 2025, and the Cape. St. George is slated to conclude its modernisation this year.
The Navy’s announcement comes as the Navy and Congress have been at odds over how fast cruisers should be phased out of the fleet. The Navy has sought to decommission more cruisers to free up money for new ships and maintenance, while lawmakers have urged to keep them around longer to satisfy capability gaps.
Meanwhile, the service decommissioned three cruisers in recent months: the Leyte Gulf, the Cowpens, and the Antietam.
“As a former cruiser Sailor, I know the incredible value these highly-capable warships bring to the Fleet and I am proud of their many decades of service,” Del Toro said in a statement. “After learning hard lessons from the cruiser modernisation program, we are only extending ships that have completed modernisation and have the material readiness needed to continue advancing our Navy’s mission.”
A lengthy and costly effort to modernise the aging cruisers has not gone as planned, the Navy admits. On November 7, the Navy revealed it would keep 12 additional destroyers in service longer, from 2028 to 2035. The ships selected underwent a hull-by-hull evaluation, and the Navy is now including a service life extension update to the FY26 budget request to accommodate these modifications.
These efforts to keep more ships in service will “bolster the Fleet as new ships are built,” according to a Navy news release.
“Today’s budget constrained environment requires the Navy to make prioritised investments to keep more ready players on the field,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti said in a statement. “The Navy is actively pulling the right levers to maintain and grow its Battle Force Inventory to support the United States’ global interests in peace and to win decisively in conflict.”
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