What you need to know: The US Navy has announced plans to extend the life of a dozen Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, with the aim of keeping the aging ships operational for up to 48 additional ship years, from 2028 to 2035.

-The decision, announced by Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, aims to maintain fleet numbers while new ships are produced, although it is estimated to cost $6 billion over 15 years.

– As the Navy phases out less effective programs such as littoral combat ships, these veteran destroyers will play a critical role in global power projection and defense in a constrained budget environment.

The US Navy will keep a dozen Arleigh Burke-class destroyers in service

This wasn’t meant to sound scary or ominous, but perhaps Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro should have revisited the schedule on Thursday. Announce that the Ministry of the Navy is considering exploit a dozen “ Arleigh Burke Class (DDG-51) Flight I Destroyers Beyond Their Expected 35-Year Lifespan” seems questionable at any time, but doing so on the day of ghosts and horrors seems almost like an omen of the worst.

“The decision, based on a hull-by-hull assessment of the ship’s material condition, combat capability, technical feasibility and life cycle maintenance requirements, will result in an additional cumulative life of 48 ship-years of the ship between 2028 and 2035.” the US Navy said in a statement, while confirming that this was in fact to maintain the size of the fleet.

Over the past year, the maritime service reportedly “conducted a thorough evaluation of every ship in the DDG-15 squadron” and then determined that about a dozen of them “should remain operational,” although the ships reach the end of their respective expected lifespan. The Navy added that the selection was also based on maximizing the useful life before any of the warships would require additional “extensive and costly berthing availability.”

The U.S. Navy seeks to keep aging warships in service and as cost-effective as possible, Del Toro suggested.

“The expansion of these highly capable, well-maintained destroyers will further strengthen our workforce as new warships join the fleet,” Secretary Del Toro said. “It also speaks to their enduring role in projecting power globally, and more recently in the Red Sea, to their proven ability to defend themselves, our allies, partners and friends against missile and missile attacks. drones.”

However, by keeping aging shipswhich have a lifespan of 35 years, will not be free.

“We anticipate a total estimated cost of $1.3 billion for the FY26 FYDP and $6 billion over 15 years,” said a spokesperson for Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro. told USNI News. “On average, it will cost approximately $139.6 million per vessel (per) year.”

More players on the field

Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti’s NAVPLAN had called on the maritime service to “assemble more ready actors on the ground,” and aging destroyers are those actors in this case – but it could be more to keep the old and tired. players on the field instead.

“Today’s constrained budget environment requires the Navy to make priority investments to keep more ready players on the ground,” Admiral Franchetti said. “The Navy is actively pulling the right levers to maintain and expand its combat force inventory to support U.S. global peace interests and win decisively in conflict.”

The following Arleigh Burke-class destroyers will remain in service:

USS Barry (DDG-52)USS The Sullivans (DDG-68) will have their service extended by three years; USS Gonzalez (DDG-66), USS Cole (DDG-67), USS Jean-Paul Jones (DDG-53), A.S.S. Paul Hamilton (DDG-60), USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG-54), A.S.S. Laboun (DDG-58), A.S.S. John S. McCain (DDG-56) and A.S.S. Fat (DDG-55) will each benefit from a five-year extension; and U.S.S. Carney (DDG-64) and A.S.S. Stethem (DDG-63) will each benefit from a one-year extension.

What the CNO or Secretary Del Toro did not note is that the U.S. Navy has already begun decommissioning its ships. coastal combat ships (LCS), even as new models were produced. With the Zumwalt-class destroyer programThe LCS is a hole in the water that the US Navy has thrown taxpayers’ money into, and as the service searches for pennies to pay for its new generation warshipstoday’s sailors will be forced to serve on aging ships.

Experience and expertise of the author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a writer based in Michigan. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites with more than 3,200 articles published during a twenty-year career in journalism. He writes regularly on military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing writer for Forbes and Liquidation Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can send an email to the author: (email protected).

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