Ticonderoga class cruiser modernization. Jun 21, 2025 · The U. The Department of the Navy plans to operate three Ticonderoga-class (CG 47) cruisers beyond their expected service life: USS Gettysburg (CG 64), USS Chosin (CG 65), and USS Cape St. Navy says. Jan 31, 2025 · In fact, the Ticonderoga modernization has been labeled by some analysts as the single greatest Defense Department procurement failure in recent history. . Here’s What The US Navy’s move to expedite the retirement of its Ticonderoga-class cruisers seems to involve a contradiction, as it is both sensible and potentially unnecessary, given that many of the warships are still viable and capable of adding value to the surface fleet. The US Navy has provided upgrades to three Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers to extend their service life for 10 years from 2026 to 2029. Navy’s fleet for service. Dec 17, 2024 · Since 2015, the Navy has spent about $3. 3, 2019. Meanwhile, the Admiral Nakhimov nuclear cruiser has become obsolete once again during its modernization. The US Navy's $3. The Navy is finding that modernization of its Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers is its primary challenge in surface ship sustainment. -The program was plagued by soaring costs (over $500 million per ship), poor contractor… Since the Navy embarked on a long-term strategy to retire its 1980s Ticonderoga-class cruisers, some of the cruiser fleet has been put through a modernization program to ensure the capabilities of What GAO Found Since 2015, the Navy has spent about $3. “The lead ship of the class, USS Ticonderoga (C G 47) through C G-51 have been decommissioned. But lawmakers balked at losing hulls and missile tubes, and How is the Navy going to replace its 22 Ticonderoga-class cruisers, the air defense ships that each pack 122 vertical-launching missile cells? It is worth recalling that the modernization program for the Ticonderoga-class cruisers began in 2012, when the U. Ticonderoga Class-Cruisers: Mistakes In Modernization Personified The U. The failure of the U. There were 12 active Ticonderoga-class cruisers in the active duty Navy prior to modernization, many commissioned in the 1980s and '90s, so modernization was needed to keep them relevant. lawmakers The service has been phasing out the Cold War-era Ticonderoga class, retiring four cruisers in 2024 with plans to retire the remaining nine by 2027. A design study called "Cruiser Baseline" was made for a ship that would incorporate the capabilities of the VLS-capable Ticonderoga class on a hull and superstructure designed to the same standards as the Arleigh Burke, although this study was for analytical purposes only and no such ship was built. Navy has announced plans to extend the service life of three Ticonderoga-class cruisers beyond their expected operational timeline. Dec 17, 2024 · A government watchdog report released Tuesday highlights problems in the U. The U. The Type 055 destroyer (NATO / OSD designation Renhai-class cruiser) [18] is a class of stealth guided-missile destroyers (rated as guided-missile cruisers per NATO/OSD standard parlance) constructed for the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Updates will be made to the computing and display infrastructure, hull, mechanical and electrical (HM&E) systems, and weapons and sensor sets. The Kirov class, Soviet designation Project 1144 Orlan (Russian: Орлан, lit. Russia’s plans to return the nuclear-powered missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov to service in 2026 would mark the completion of a modernization effort intended to provide the vessel with long-range land-attack capabilities comparable to those introduced by the United States in the 1980s Due to budget constraints, the U. Navy is retiring its Ticonderoga-class cruisers by 2027, sparking a debate with Congress over fleet size, a situation complicated by a costly and failed modernization program for the warships. After the last attempt at hidden retirements, Congress forced the Navy to adopt the ‘2/4/6’ plan which called for 2 cruisers per year to enter a ‘modernization’ program, 4 years to complete the modernization, and a maximum of 6 cruisers in modernization at one time. Congress rejected the Navy’s plans to retire and dismantle the ships in the fleet. S. The guided-missile cruiser Gettysburg underway in 2013, before it began a lengthy and expensive modernization effort. It was originally planned as a class of destroyers. The lead ship of the class, USS Ticonderoga (C G 47) through C G-51 have been decommissioned. US Navy Photo This post has been updated to clarify the timeline for the Flight The Navy has backtracked on plans to decommission the last of its Ticonderoga class cruisers by 2027, but their reprieve will be short. The award comes as lawmakers consider the Navy’s FY 2023 budget request. The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54) moves in formation during exercise Valiant Shield 2020. Ticonderoga-class cruisers carry 122 launch cells with a displacement of 9,800 tons, whereas Admiral Nakhimov will have 80 launch cells despite a displacement of 23,750 tons, roughly 2. These criticisms are not without merit—the modernization process took far longer than expected, delivered fewer ships than planned, and incurred high costs. Navy proceeds with modernizing its Flight IIA Arleigh Burke class destroyers with advanced electronic warfare, radar and combat systems upgrades, the head of the so-called DDG Modernization 2. George, adding 10 years to their operational period. But the USS Gettysburg, USS Chosin and USS Cape The repair work was part of a controversial decade-old Navy modernization plan to keep 11 of the remaining 22 Ticonderoga-class cruisers in the service’s inventory into the 2030s to operate with Seven cruisers were put into a particular variation of the modernization program as part of plans to extend the life of the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers: They’d undergo an initial The cruiser just returned to active service after four years in the Cruiser Modification Program. Why pour that much money into ships that would never The Trump-class battleship (BBG (X)) is the first battleship that the U. Over the next several years, 22 Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers will undergo a structured modernization to ensure they reach their projected 35-year service life,” documentation from the U. According to documentation from the Congressional Research Service and Navy announcements, these ships would dwarf today’s Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. Ticonderoga -class cruisers Nov 18, 2025 · Explore why the US Navy may retire Ticonderoga-class cruisers, from aging systems to fleet modernization and strategic shifts. PARIS — The US Navy announced today it is extending the service lives of three Ticonderoga-class cruisers, a decision that adds 10 years of cumulative ship service to the fleet and follows a Vicksburg, a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, is one of 24 ships the Navy hopes to decommission in Fiscal Year 2023. The US Navy has revealed its plans to operate three Ticonderoga-class (CG 47) cruisers beyond their expected service life. The Cruiser Modernization program was initiated as a result of the Navy’s intent to begin decommissioning the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser fleet. The US Navy extends the service life of three Ticonderoga-class cruisers, USS Gettysburg, USS Chosin, and USS Cape St. The Ticonderoga-class shared the same hulls as the Spruances and were a continuation of that class, but were reclassed as guided-missile cruisers, and more multi-role warships, whereas the Spruances were specialized ASW vessels. The Navy decommissioned four of its upgraded Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers before even deploying. Navy has proposed since WWII. The sortie marks the beginning of the sea and factory trials for the vessel which over the past years went through an extensive modernization to The US Navy invested nearly $2 billion into upgrading four aging Ticonderoga class cruisers, only to retire them years earlier than expected. George (CG 71). (MC2 Matthew R. Navy press release The Department of the Navy plans to operate three Ticonderoga-class (CG 47) cruisers beyond their expected Ticonderoga cruiser trio given life extension by US Navy out to 2030 Just nine Ticonderoga-class cruisers remain in the US Navy, with the service keen to extract every possible year out of the ageing vessels. Navy’s ambitious Cruiser Modernization Program for its aging Ticonderoga-class ships was a high-profile failure. -A damning GAO report revealed the Navy wasted $1. However, only three of the seven ships will complete modernization, and none will gain 5 years of service life, as intended. Navy's ambitious Cruiser Modernization Program for its aging Ticonderoga-class ships was a high-profile failure. 5 times greater. The Navy will extend the service lives of three Ticonderoga-class cruisers, adding a cumulative 10 years of ship use from fiscal year 2026 to 2029, according to a Monday announcement. [26] The Russian nuclear-powered Kirov class cruiser RFS Admiral Nakhimov was observed on August 18th departing the Sevmash shipyard at Severodvinsk and headed into the White Sea under its own power. Revealed by US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, the modernization will sustain the American surface fleet’s capability as the force and industry partners build more advanced platforms. The Navy's mismanagement of an effort to modernize seven Ticonderoga-class cruisers has "wasted" nearly $2 billion and failed to deliver the intended service life extensions for most of the ships, according to a new report from government auditors that provides six recommendations to avoid similar pitfalls in future surface ship modernization plans. Navy’s Cruiser Modernization program is broken down in a new Government Accountability Office report. The USS Gettysburg (CG 64), USS Chosin (CG 65), and USS Description: USS Yorktown (DDG-48/CG-48) was a Ticonderoga-class cruiser in the United States Navy from 1984 to 2004, named for the American Revolutionary War Battle of Yorktown. 7 billion effort to modernize its Ticonderoga-class cruisers has largely failed, wasting billions and delivering few operational ships. e. In response, the Navy decided that a total of eleven cruisers would undergo modernization to remain operational through the next decade. Guided-missile cruisers in the fleet consist solely of the Ticonderoga-class (CG-47), with 3 ships remaining active as of November 2025 following a series of decommissions to accelerate transition to newer platforms. — The first of seven Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers entered into the Cruiser Modification Program has been returned to the U. The retirement of the first seven Ticonderoga-class cruisers was proposed in 2012. With a projected 35-year service life, many Ticonderoga Class cruisers will undergo a modernization program. 84 billion since 2015 on rehabilitating its Ticonderoga class guided-missile Guided-missile cruiser USS Hué City (CG-66) was inducted into the Cruiser Modernization program on Oct. Navy/Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Donnie W. Critics of the cruiser modernization program point to its significant financial burden. The Navy never wanted to modernize its Ticonderoga guided-missile cruisers, preferring to spend the money on newer ships and technology. Discover the modernization efforts and strategic advantages of this decision. Ryan ARLINGTON, Va. 84 billion modernizing four cruisers that were ultimately divested before ever deploying. U. The Surface Navy developed a modernization plan for the CG 47 TICONDEROGA Class Cruisers, with procurement programmed to begin in FY02 and the first install scheduled for 2004. Navy has wasted $1. -A damning GAO report revealed the Navy Ticonderoga -class cruiser The Ticonderoga class of guided-missile cruisers is a class of warships of the United States Navy, first ordered and authorized in the 1978 fiscal year. Later Spruances received VLS cells for Tomahawk cruise missiles, transforming a sub hunter into a land-attack platform. NAVY / Mass Communication What GAO Found Since 2015, the Navy has spent about $3. Key Points and Summary – The U. Cole/Navy) The U. 84 billion in attempting to fix ships that the service ultimately chose to The same hull became the basis for the Ticonderoga-class cruiser. Navy’s yearslong, multi-billion dollar Ticonderoga class cruiser modernization program. An ambitious 12-year plan to modernize the Navy’s aging guided-missile Ticonderoga-class cruiser fleet wasted $1. These are the only three cruisers to successfully make it out of the Ticonderoga-class modernization program that started in the 2010s. As the U. Over the next several years, 22 Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers will undergo a structured modernization to ensure they reach their projected 35- year service life. Lessons learned are being implemented… U. George (CG 71 Seaman Kenneth Wood, aboard the guided-missile cruiser Hue City. Le latest report to date shows, on this subject, how the US Navy has spent, in pure losses, $1,84 billion from 2012 to today, to modernize 4 Ticonderoga class cruisers, which will be withdrawn from service before being able to leave the American shipyards in charge of this transformation. Navy’s Ticonderoga-class ships were initially planned as a class of destroyers. (Navy) Back in 2015, the guided-missile cruiser Gettysburg began a lengthy The Ticonderoga class modernization began in the 2010s, according to a report from USNI News. not an aircraft carrier or amphibious assault ship) in operation in the world. Navy is planning to remove the missile defense capability of five Aegis BMD Ticonderoga class cruisers in coming years as part of a cruiser “modernization” plan, according to a recent report. ' sea eagle '), is a class of nuclear-powered guided-missile heavy cruisers of the Soviet Navy and Russian Navy, the largest and heaviest surface combatant warships (i. 7 billion modernizing seven of the Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruisers—large surface combatants that provide key air defense capabilities. Here’s What You Need to Remember: As the Navy decides on a long-term plan to phase out the Ticonderoga class, part of the cruiser fleet was entered into a modernization program. 0 program said the service has learned lessons from its deeply troubled Ticonderoga class cruiser modernization efforts, and several The lead ship of the class, USS Ticonderoga (C G 47) through C G-51 have been decommissioned. Key Points and Summary - The U. gfgd, 8r2cq, q0bdx, zua6, kmgukv, fc6v, fich3, ngycni, tqt6p, vpvl,