The U.S. Navy named 14 ships it intends to remove from the fleet during the current fiscal year, according to a Navy administrative message released Sunday.
The service released an inactivation schedule for fiscal 2026 that will see vessels either recycled, dismantled, deemed logistics support assets or transferred to the U.S. Maritime Administration, a government agency that oversees the disposal of naval vessels.
Los Angeles-class submarines USS Newport News and USS Alexandria, along with Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Georgia, are slated to be recycled.
The service is currently phasing out Los Angeles-class submarines — some of which have served for 40 years — and is in the process of replacing them with Virginia-class submarines.
Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers USS Shiloh and USS Lake Erie, along with Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Germantown and Henry J. Kaiser-class underway replenishment oiler USNS John Ericsson, will be used as logistics support assets.
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“Logistics Support Assets (LSA) will be used as a primary means of cannibalization and equipment removal for ships,” the Navy administrative message said.
There were only 10 Ticonderoga-class cruisers remaining in the Navy fleet as of April 23, 2025, according to the service.
The Navy built 27 Ticonderoga-class cruisers beginning in 1980 but has been phasing them out of service, with hopes of completely retiring the remaining ships by fiscal 2027 and replacing them with its next-generation destroyer.
The cruiser was the first ship to wield the AEGIS Combat System, an advanced weapons platform that utilizes radar to detect, track and fire at targets.
The last Ticonderoga-class cruiser home-ported overseas began its return to the U.S. in March.
In the administrative message, the Navy said it also plans to dismantle the Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth.
The Freedom-class has been plagued by mechanical problems, failed weapons systems and ballooning maintenance costs.
The service will also transfer the following ships to the U.S. Maritime Administration: Watson-class vehicle cargo ships USNS Red Cloud, USNS Watkins and USNS Pomeroy; Offshore Petroleum Distribution System vessel USNS Vadm. K. R. Wheeler; and Henry J. Kaiser-class underway replenishment oilers USNS Pecos and USNS Big Horn.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
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