Navy Extends Service Life Of Three Cruisers

The guided-missile cruiser USS Chosin detaches from the dry cargo ship USS Washington Chambers during a Transferable Reload At-Sea Method (TRAM) at sea demonstration, Oct. 11, 2024, while sailing in the Pacific Ocean.

The Navy will keep three frigates in service for three more years each after extending the service life of 12 destroyers.

The service announced Monday that the USS Gettysburg, USS Chosin, and Cape St. George will remain in service until fiscal year 2029 instead of 2026.

According to the Navy, the frigates have received modernization upgrades, including “extensive hull, machinery, engineering and combat system improvements. ” The Gettysburg and Chosin completed those modifications in fiscal years 2023 and 2025, and Cape St. George is scheduled to complete its modernization this year.

The Navy’s announcement comes as the Navy and Congress disagree over how quickly cruisers should be retired from the fleet. The U.S. Navy seeks to retire more frigates to free up funds for new ships and maintenance, while lawmakers are urging them to remain in service longer to fill capacity gaps.

Meanwhile, the service has grounded three cruise ships in recent months: Leyte Gulf, Cowpens and Antietam.

“As a former cruise sailor, I know the incredible value these high-performance warships bring to the fleet, and I am proud of their decades of service,” del Toro said in a statement. “Having learned the hard lessons of the frigate modernization program, we are only expanding ships that have completed modernization and have the necessary material readiness to continue to advance our Navy’s mission.”

The Navy revealed Thursday that it will add 12 destroyers to its service life from 2028 to 2035. The selected ships underwent hull evaluations, and the Navy will now include service life extension updates in its fiscal 2026 budget request to accommodate these amendments.

These efforts to keep more ships in service “will strengthen the fleet as new ships are built,” according to a Navy press release.

“The current constrained budget environment requires the Navy to prioritize investments to prepare more actors for combat,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchitti said in a statement. “The Navy is aggressively using the appropriate tools to sustain and enhance its combat power reserve to support U.S. global interests in peace and achieve decisive victory in conflict.”