U.S. Navy: The last three remaining Ticonderoga cruisers

Of the 27 cruisers of the Ticonderoga class the first five (Flight I) were already decommissioned in 2004, as conversion to Mk 41 vertical silos would have been too costly. The "Ticos" of Flight II (2nd batch) have 122 launch cells (VLS), in which all missiles from the Standard Missile 2, Evolved Sea Sparrow, U-Jagd-FK ASROC to the Tomahawk cruise missile are carried - with the exception of the Harpoon sea target missile.

The remaining 22 cruisers were commissioned between 1986 and 1994 with a planned service life of 35 years. In the last three years, the US Navy has decommissioned thirteen units, with six more to follow in 2025 or early 2026. Only three modernised Ticonderogas remain, which may remain in service for a few more years.

This was originally planned differently: The decision had already been made 20 years ago to continue using half of the 22 ships. However, only seven were actually included in the modernisation - and only three were completely refitted. The remaining cruisers were decommissioned during the ongoing project.

The 173-metre-long ships, which weigh around 10,000 tonnes, are designed for all forms of naval warfare - above and below water, for air defence and land target engagement. They also fulfil a central role in every Carrier Strike Group (CSG).

Extending the service life of such complex units requires extensive modernisation, ideally after 20 years at the latest - well planned and prepared. The example of the "Cape St. George" (CG 71) shows that this was not the case: After four years in the shipyard and at a cost of over 500 million dollars, she was put back into service. Her sister ships "Gettysburg" (CG 64) and "Chosin" (CG 65), which were also extensively modernised, are also due to be decommissioned as early as 2030 - at least that is the current plan.

No replacement is yet in sight. However, there will continue to be more than three CSGs. Conclusion: a lot of money has been invested - with little lasting benefit. The Pentagon's increasing criticism of the US Navy's naval planning and shipbuilding is understandable in view of this development.