Author: Academic Plus
On March 31, 2022, the U.S. Naval Academy News Network released Navy's Proposed Fiscal Year 2023 Battle Force Ship Decommissionings. The U.S. Navy plans to retire 24 warships in fiscal year 2023 in order to save $3.6 billion over the next five years for the implementation of plans to acquire new ships.
"Ticonderoga" class cruiser
The U.S. Navy has a total of 22 Ticonderoga-class cruisers in service, and five are scheduled to be retired in fiscal year 2023, namely Bunker Hill (CG-52), Mobile Bay (CG-53), San Jacinto (CG-56), Lake Champlain (CG-57), and Vicksburg (CG-69). The Ticonderoga-class cruisers originally had a 30-year service life, but the U.S. Navy implemented a 10-year extended maintenance program to preserve the air defense capabilities of cruisers in the carrier battle group and to add additional vertical launch unit capabilities. But now that cruisers are 175 to 200 percent more expensive to maintain and modernize than expected, the U.S. Navy has developed the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Flight III as an air defense command platform in the carrier battle group, and has now procured 12 of them, while actively developing next-generation destroyers, or DDGs(X), and hopes to purchase the first one in fiscal year 2028.
"Whidbe Island" class amphibious dock landing ship
The U.S. Navy has a total of seven active Whidley Bay Island-class amphibious dock landing ships, and four are scheduled to be retired in fiscal year 2023, namely USS German city (LSD-42), USS Golston Hall (LSD-44), USS Tortuga (LSD-46), and USS Ashland (LSD-48). Since the Whidbe Island-class amphibious dock landing ships will all reach the end of service by 2032, the U.S. Navy is seeking to build the "San Antonio" class amphibious dock carriers for replacement, planning to build a total of 26 in two batches, and has now built 11 in service and purchased 4.
Freedom-class littoral combat ship
The U.S. Navy has 16 Active Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ships, nine of which are scheduled to be retired in fiscal year 2023, namely USS Fort Worth (LCS-3), USS Milwaukee (LCS-5), USS Detroit (LCS-7), USS Little Rock (LCS-9), USS Sioux City (LCS-11), USS Wichita (LCS-13), USS Billings (LCS-15), USS Indianapolis (LCS-17), "St. Louis" Number (LCS-19). Since the Littoral Combat Ship can no longer meet the needs of the U.S. Navy's future mission missions, the "Constellation" class frigate or the next generation frigate FCG(X) has been developed to replace it, and 20 "Constellation" class frigates are planned to be built, and 3 have been purchased, of which the first Constellation-class frigate is expected to be delivered by 2026 and reach the initial combat capability by 2030.
Los Angeles-class attack submarines
The U.S. Navy has 30 Los Angeles-class attack submarines in service, and two are scheduled to be retired in fiscal year 2023, namely the USS Chicago (SSN-721) and the USS Key West (SSN-722). To replace the aging Los Angeles-class attack submarines, the U.S. Navy has been procuring Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines since fiscal year 1998, and has built and served 19 and procured 15 as of fiscal year 2021.
Henry J. Kaiser-class oil supply ship
The U.S. Navy has 14 Henry J. Kaiser-class tankers in service, and two are scheduled to be decommissioned in fiscal year 2023, namely USS John Rensal (TAO-189) and USS Walter S. Deere (TAO-193). The Henry J. Kaiser class fuel replenishment vessels can replenish the carrier battle group three times at a time, and a total of 18 ships have been built, of which TAO-188 and TAO-190 were decommissioned in mid-1996, TAO-191 and TAO-192 were sold to Ecuador in 1996, and the remaining ships will be gradually retired in 2021. In order to replace the Henry J. Kaiser-class oil supply ship and ensure the global power of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Navy launched the TAO(X) project in 2015 and began construction of a new generation of John Lewis class oil supply ships on September 20, 2018, with a total of 20 plans to purchase a total of 20 ships, and the first batch of 6 purchases.
Motorized landing platform
The U.S. Navy has 5 active mobile landing platforms, including 2 Cape Montfort-class expeditionary transshipment dock ships (mainly to perform logistical support functions, including the "Cape Montfort" ESD-1 and "John Gray" ESD-2) and 3 "Louis B. Puller" class expeditionary mobile base ships (mainly to realize the "Sea Base" concept, which is used to support maritime minesweeper, anti-smuggling, special operations, maritime security, maritime humanitarian relief and disaster reduction operations, including "Louis B. Puller" ESB-3, Hershey Williams ESB-4 and Miguel Keith ESB-5) are scheduled to retire two Montfort-class expeditionary transshipment dock ships in fiscal year 2023. The two expeditionary transshipment dock ships have been in service for less than 10 years and are important forces in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps expeditionary and distributed operations, and many parties in the United States have questioned and criticized this retirement plan.
A U.S. Navy Battleship Procurement Program
The U.S. Navy plans to purchase nine battleships in fiscal year 2023, including two Arleigh Burke-class third-batch destroyers, two Virginia-class attack submarines, one Constellation-class frigate, one San Antonio-class amphibious dock carrier, one American-class amphibious assault ship, one TAO-205 John Lewis-class fuel supply vessel, and one T-ATS 6 Navajo-class salvage and rescue ship, with a total budget of $27.9 billion.
Although the U.S. Navy does not seek to buy Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines in fiscal year 2023 and the "Gerald M. R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, but additional incremental funding is required for both projects. Rear Admiral John Gambleton, deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Navy who oversees the budget, noted that the retirement of 24 warships will save the U.S. Navy $3.6 billion over the next five years to meet the U.S. Navy's new shipbuilding program.
The U.S. Navy's warship number chart shows that the size of the U.S. Navy's fleet will show an overall downward trend over the next five years. It is expected to be 285 in FY2023, 287 in FY2024, 287 in FY2025, 284 in FY2026, and down to 280 in FY2027.
Chart: The number of ships in the U.S. Navy will change over the next five years
B U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Aircraft Procurement Program
The U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps are looking to buy 96 aircraft in fiscal year 2023, with a total budget of $16.8 billion.
In fiscal year 2023, the U.S. Navy plans to purchase nine F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters, five E-2D Hawkeye early warning aircraft, six multi-engine training system aircraft, 21 TH-73A training helicopters, three MQ-4C Poseidon long-flight unmanned patrol aircraft, and four MQ-25A Stingray carrier-based unmanned tankers.
The U.S. Marine Corps plans to purchase four F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters, 15 F-35B STOL/VTOL fighters, four multi-engine training system aircraft, five KC-130J Harvest eagle tankers, 10 CH-53K Stallion King helicopters, five TH-73A training helicopters, and five MQ-9A Death Strike Integrated High Altitude Long-Time Drones.
Pictured: The U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps plan to purchase aircraft over the next 5 years
The original title was "The Great Change of Blood!" U.S. Navy Fiscal Year 2023 Ship Renewal Program", article from the public number "Academic Plus"