Twelve US Navy destroyers to operate beyond 35-year service life
The US Navy will extend the life of 12 Arleigh Burke-class Flight I destroyers beyond their expected 35-year service life.
Navy Secretary, Carlos Del Toro, announced the decision in Washington on 31 October 2024. Accordingly, the service has proposed life extension funding in the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget request.
At the Secretary’s appeal, the Navy conducted a thorough evaluation of each DDG 51 Flight I ship (DDG 51-71) over the past ten months, and determined that 12 destroyers could, and should, remain operational beyond their expected service life.
The decision, based upon a hull-by-hull evaluation of ship material condition, combat capability, technical feasibility and lifecycle maintenance requirements, will result in an additional 48 years of cumulative ship service life in the 2028 to 2035 timeframe.
USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51), the first warship in the class, was commissioned in 1991. Subsequently, the first 21 destroyers are categorised as Flight I vessels. The next seven destroyers are Flight II, followed by Flight III beginning with the USS Jack H Lucas (DDG 125).