In response to an appeal from the Secretary of the Navy, the U.S. Navy has conducted an extensive review of each DDG 51 Flight I destroyer (DDG 51-71) over the last ten months. As reported in the article below, this evaluation determined that 12 of these Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are in sufficient condition to remain #operational beyond their initially anticipated #service #lifespan.
The decision was informed by a comprehensive hull-by-hull assessment, taking into account factors such as the ships’ material condition, #combat #readiness, technical feasibility, and long-term #maintenance needs. This extension of service life is projected to provide a cumulative 48 additional years of active deployment for these ships within the 2028-2035 period.
For the Navy, this decision reflects a commitment to optimizing current resources in order to maintain robust #maritime capability in an evolving #strategic landscape.
