The U.S. Navy Waves Goodbye to the Ticonderoga-class Cruiser: Is this the end of the era for the U.S. Navy’s cruiser program? The cruiser has always been a key part of the maritime force. They are fast and chock with weapons. Cruisers can serve in an aircraft carrier strike group, providing a protective umbrella with the vaunted Aegis Combat System. Cruisers can also stage counter-attacks if needed and punish the enemy with missiles fired from their decks.

But the Navy has other plans, and all Ticonderoga-class cruisers may be retired in three years. Most of the cruisers from the class had already been taken out of service in prior decades. Twenty of twenty-seven Ticonderoga-class ships are no longer serving the Navy. The next seven will leave the service by 2030.

These Ships Have Been Valuable for Decades

Ticonderoga-class ships have been busy over the years. They have patrolled the Mediterranean and Middle East, firing Tomahawk cruise missiles at will. They use those projectiles to punish ground targets and make the jobs of soldiers and Marines easier with thunderous air support. Plus, they offer protection against attacks on carrier strike groups. Defensive surface-to-air missiles like the SM-2, SM-3, and SM-6 have been dominant for years. The Ticonderoga-class will be missed.

American Shipbuilders Could Not Keep Up with Maintenance Requirements

But difficulties with the U.S. shipbuilding industry have trimmed the effectiveness of the group of cruisers. The older ships have required extensive maintenance, and many have been taken out of service for repairs and upkeep. There are simply not enough shipyards and workers to maintain the ships, prompting many naval analysts to look for a new way to protect carriers and achieve dominance on the high seas.

Modernization Program Hoped to Save the Cruisers

Congress did not want to see the Ticonderoga-class go away.

Lawmakers created the Cruiser Modernization Program, which was funded by a $3.7 billion set-aside. The idea was to upgrade the Ticonderoga-class ships to keep them up to date. New electronics and weapons guidance systems would be replaced along with radars and sonars. The cruisers could then be more relevant, as Military Watch explained.

This did not quite improve the combat readiness of the Ticonderoga-class. Many ships were still growing antiquated. The budgeted dollars were significant, but the hulls were still old, and Congress finally agreed to retire all Ticonderoga-class cruisers by 2021.

Extending the Service Life

However, the Pentagon and lawmakers saw the need to extend some to continue service. Russia invaded Ukraine, and Europe was considered a new hotspot. China increased its carrier and submarine forces. President Donald Trump ordered an attack on Iran. Cruisers with heavy firepower were still needed.

Modernization Efforts Were Not Working

Meanwhile, the Cruiser Modernization Program was struggling with cost overruns and schedule slips. The Ticonderoga-class was considered too old for a custom set of upgrades to make the ships more relevant for 21st-century warfare. China kept developing more anti-ship missiles. Cruise missile capability could be carried out by submarines, and other ships could be outfitted with the Aegis system to protect carriers.

The Ticonderoga-class Had Too Many Negative Aspects

As Military Watch Magazine wrote, “According to the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Michael Gilday, the cruisers were showing signs of serious material decline. ‘We’re seeing cracks … we’re seeing challenges in the material conditions’ in ships that average over 30 years old, he observed. He further warned that the modernization program was unpredictable, stressing that some of the older radar systems were ‘approaching obsolescence’ in the face of modern missile threats. Many Ticonderoga-class ships are approaching or exceeding 35 years of service, with corrosion, fatigue, and mechanical wear having increased maintenance requirements significantly.”

Make Due Without Them

The old ships thus entered a period of decline that presaged a retirement. The 300 to 400 sailors serving onboard could be redeployed to other ships, and the missions that the Ticonderoga-class excelled in – missile strikes and strike group protection were transferred to different vessels.

Replacement Is Not Assured

What is next for the Ticonderoga-class? There was once an effort to create a new class of cruisers called the next-generation CG(X), but this also resulted in cost overruns and delays. The Navy and Congress determined that the idea yielded no real gains in ships and canceled the effort in 2010. 

Geopolitical Risk Abounds

The cruiser’s demise is not a good development for the United States. China has a bigger navy. The Middle East sees no signs of peace. North Korea is even developing a fleet of fast, heavily armed destroyers.

The Americans are looking for new ships that can still pack a punch and carry the Aegis system to better protect against enemy aircraft and projectiles. 

This is a new era for the Navy, though. The Tomahawk cruise missile strikes are still needed, but these can be fired by other vessels. The Navy is looking for ships that do not need such a high level of maintenance. Perhaps the new Virginia-class fast-attack submarines will be better able to deliver cruise missiles to address hot spots that have cropped up even more. The cruiser has seen better days, and that is a disappointment to naval historians who have documented their great combat record over the decades.

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About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood

Author of now over 3,500 articles on defense issues, Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: A Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.