USS Anzio

Cruiser USS Vicksburg Nearly Finished with Modernization Program, Set For Decommissioning

USS Vicksburg (CG-69) getting repaired at BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, Va., on April 8, 2022. Christopher P. Cavas Photo used with permission

A Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser the Navy wants to decommission next year is nearly finished with a modernization overhaul that costs hundreds of millions of dollars, a service official told lawmakers today.

USS Vicksburg (CG-69) is about 85 percent of the way through the cruiser modernization program meant to extend the life of the ship.

“The...

https://news.usni.org/2022/05/18/cruiser-uss-vicksburg-nearly-finished-with-modernization-program-set-for-decommissioning

After a Decade of Debate, Cruisers Set to Exit Fleet in 5 Years

USS Vicksburg (CG-69) getting repaired at BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, Va., on April 8, 2022. Christopher P. Cavas Photo used with permission

NORFOLK, Va. – USS Vicksburg (CG-69) is in the middle of a $200 million repair period meant to keep the guided-missile cruiser in the fleet well into the 2030s. Shrouded in scaffolding and white plastic at BAE Systems Ship Repair, shipyard workers have been upgrading Vicksburg since 2020.

The repair work was part of a controversial decade-old Navy...

Navy Clear to Decommission 5 Cruisers, Unclear Which Ships Will Leave the Fleet

Five cruisers that could be targets for decommissioning this year, according to the Navy’s latest inactivation plan.

The Navy is clear to decommission five Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers following the passage of the Fiscal Year 2022 defense appropriations bill, USNI News understands.

The overdue spending bill follows the FY 2022 defense policy bill and allows the Navy to decommission five of the seven cruisers originally requested as part of the White House’s budget request.

Congress...

https://news.usni.org/2022/03/23/navy-clear-to-decommission-5-cruisers-unclear-which-ships-will-leave-the-fleet

Senate Appropriators Call for GAO Probe into Navy’s Budget Tactic to ‘Deliberately Underfund Programs’

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) launching at Ingalls Shipbuilding on June 5, 2021. HII Photo

Senate appropriators are worried about the Navy’s budget tactics and are calling upon the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study to address their concerns.

The Senate Appropriations Committee wants the comptroller general, which leads the GAO, to assess the procedures both the Navy and the Pentagon’s Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) use when...

https://news.usni.org/2021/10/20/senate-appropriators-call-for-gao-probe-into-navys-budget-tactic-to-deliberately-underfund-programs

House Passes Defense Authorization Bill With $23.9B Topline Increase, 13 Battleforce Ships

NASA Photo

The House on Thursday passed the annual defense policy bill with a $23.9 billion increase to the defense top line and a significant boost to the Navy’s shipbuilding account.

In a 316-113 vote Thursday evening, the lower chamber passed the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, authorizing a total of $768 billion for defense spending. Despite Democrats’ efforts to cut defense spending, including an attempt to reverse the $23.9 billion increase the House Armed Services...

https://news.usni.org/2021/09/24/house-passes-defense-authorization-bill-with-23-9b-topline-increase-13-battleforce-ships

HASC Adopts Amendment That Would Authorize 4 More Battleforce Ships, Increase DoD Topline to $23.9B

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) launching at Ingalls Shipbuilding on June 5, 2021. HII Photo

The House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday adopted an amendment that would authorize four additional battleforce ships for the Navy and increase the overall Defense Department topline by $23.9 billion.

The amendment, offered by HASC Ranking Member Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), authorizes funding for a third Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, one America-class amphibious...

https://news.usni.org/2021/09/01/hasc-adopts-amendment-that-would-authorize-4-more-battleforce-ships-increase-dod-topline-to-23-9b

CNO Gilday Says With Current Budget, Cutting Ships Necessary for Navy Long-term

USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) transits the Indian Ocean during a surface target exercise on March 12, 2021. US Navy Photo

As Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday prepares for a battle with lawmakers over a divisive plan to strike more than a dozen vessels from the fleet, the service’s top officer said Tuesday that he’s using the investments to prepare for the fleet emerging in 2025.

That’s when the Navy will be on the cusp of receiving several new additions to bolster the service, Gilday said...

https://news.usni.org/2021/07/20/cno-gilday-says-with-current-budget-cutting-ships-necessary-for-navy-long-term

Navy Outlines Planning, Execution Failures in Cruiser Modernization Program

Guided-missile cruiser USS Hué City (CG-66) was inducted into the Cruiser Modernization program on Oct. 3, 2019. US Navy Photo

The Navy’s push to retire seven guided-missile cruisers stems from management and planning in its original modernization program that caused exorbitant cost growth, according to service officials.

Navy officials have repeatedly cited cost as a reason for the proposed decommissionings, arguing that the service could put the money toward other modernization priorities...

https://news.usni.org/2021/07/08/navy-outlines-planning-execution-failures-in-cruiser-modernization-program

Lawmakers Probe Navy’s Plan to Decommission Cruisers, Navy Says Cuts Will Save $5B Across FYDP

USS Makin Island (LHD-8), back, and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) transit the South China Sea on April 9, 2021. US Navy Photo

Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), the seapower panel’s ranking member, also voiced concerns over decommissioning the cruisers because of a potential capability gap. Each cruiser has 120 missile cells, meaning the seven ships have a total of 910 cells. Kilby confirmed to Wittman that a “large percentage” of the Navy’s surface fires comes from...

https://news.usni.org/2021/06/17/lawmakers-probe-navys-plan-to-decommission-cruisers-navy-says-cuts-will-save-5b-across-fydp

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