The Sun Is Setting on the U.S. Navy’s Cruiser Fleet, With No Replacements in Sight

By 2027, the entire class could join the battleship in obsolescence. Could destroyers, augmented by robo-ships, make a solid replacement?

The U.S. Navy is facing a looming gap in its fleet as it begins to retire its aging Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers, with the last scheduled for decommissioning by 2027. These cruisers, which have been a mainstay of the fleet since the 1980s, are equipped with the advanced Aegis Combat System and offer significant missile firepower. Despite decades of service and growing obsolescence, there is no direct replacement in sight. Newer Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, although technologically comparable, lack the missile capacity of the cruisers. Various factors, including budget constraints and failed previous replacement programs, have left the Navy considering alternative solutions. One such option is to augment the firepower of existing destroyers with robo-ships carrying additional missiles, providing a potentially cost-effective way to maintain naval capabilities as traditional cruisers are phased out.

Read More: https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/a44820191/uss-mobile-bay-retirement-us-navy-cruisers/