U.S. Navy Extends Life of Battle-Tested Arleigh Burke Destroyers

The U.S. Navy has announced plans to extend the service life of 12 Arleigh Burke class Flight I Destroyers beyond their expected 35-year lifespan.

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro made the announcement on Thursday, highlighting the vessels’ crucial role in maintaining the Navy’s battle-ready fleet.

The decision comes after a comprehensive hull-by-hull evaluation of ship material condition, combat capability, technical feasibility, and lifecycle maintenance requirements. This extension is projected to add 48 ship-years of cumulative service life between 2028 and 2035, significantly enhancing the Navy’s operational capacity.

The Arleigh Burke class (DDG 51) Flight I destroyers, numbered DDG 51-71, were built between 1988 and 1997. Notable ships include the USS Carney (DDG-64) and USS Laboon (DDG-58), which recently saw combat while participating in U.S. operations to protect merchant shipping against Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

“Extending these highly-capable, well-maintained destroyers will further bolster our numbers as new construction warships join the Fleet. It also speaks to their enduring role in projecting power globally, and most recently in the Red Sea, their proven ability to defend themselves, as well as our allies, partners and friends from missile and drone attacks,” said Secretary Del Toro.

The Navy’s decision aligns with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti’s NAVPLAN, which aims to “get more ready players on the field.”

“Today’s budget constrained environment requires the Navy to make prioritized investments to keep more ready players on the field. The Navy is actively pulling the right levers to maintain and grow its Battle Force Inventory to support the United States’s global interests in peace and to win decisively in conflict,” said Adm. Franchetti.

This service life extension comes alongside a broader assessment of fleet capabilities, including adjustments to the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and Zumwalt-class programs. The Navy, initially planning a 52-ship LCS fleet, has scaled the program back to 25 vessels—10 Freedom-class and 15 Independence-class—due to operational and budgetary challenges. The LCS program has encountered obstacles such as reliability issues, maintenance difficulties, and problems with mission module integration, leading to early retirements of some vessels.

In addition, the Zumwalt-class destroyers, originally designed for multi-mission land attack operations, are undergoing a strategic shift to enhance their offensive capabilities. The three Zumwalt-class ships—USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001), and USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002)—are currently being outfitted with Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missiles, repurposing the destroyers from their original design focus.

The service life extension also dovetails with a broader modernization effort that includes the introduction of the Navy’s next-generation Constellation-class frigates (FFG 62), designed to complement the capabilities of larger destroyers like the Arleigh Burke.

As part of its Fiscal Year 2025 budget request, the Navy has proposed decommissioning 19 ships, including two LCS vessels—USS Jackson (LCS-6) and USS Montgomery (LCS-8), reflecting a broader strategy to divest older platforms and allocate resources more effectively.

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