Monday, Jun. 17, 2024
Has the U.S. Navy been trying to decommission ships like the USS Fort Worth?
The U.S. Navy has decommissioned several older littoral combat ships, with the USS Fort Worth being the eldest ship in its class by three years. The ship was commissioned in 2012.
Despite being in use, proposals for the ship’s decommissioning have been discussed since December 2019, alongside the three other eldest ships in the class. At the time, the four ships had between 12 to 17 years of planned hull life.
Since then, the other three ships have been decommissioned.
The USS Fort Worth’s decommissioning was blocked in 2022 by the House Appropriations Committee. U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, the ship’s sponsor, was then the ranking member of the committee.
The primary reason given to decommission the ship is it’s currently not prepped for sea duty.
The USS Fort Worth is currently used as a potential platform for drones and other unmanned aircraft.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Navy Times US Navy proposes decommissioning first 4 LCS more than a decade early
- House Appropriations Committee Department of Defense appropriations bill, 2022
- Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet USS Fort Worth (LCS 3)
- Breaking Defense Navy eyeing Littoral Combat Ships as ‘mothership’ for unmanned platforms, SecNav tells lawmakers
- City of Fort Worth USS Fort Worth celebrates 10 years at sea
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