Navy Canceling DDG-51 Class Extension Due To Funding, May Walk Back

摘要

The Navy may reverse itself again and re-institute a class-wide service life extension of DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers if it gets the funding, the Navy’s top procurement official told a congressional panel Thursday. In written testimony to a Senate Armed Services Seapower subcommittee hearing last week, Navy officials said after evaluating the best balance between costs and capability, it was removing a plan dating back to 2018 to institute service life extensions on the entire Arleigh Burke-class DDG-51 destroyers to reach a 355-ship fleet faster (Defense Daily, March 11). Speaking before the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee March 12, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition James Geurts explained this change was due to funding limitations but will only impact decisions starting in FY 2026. Subcommittee Ranking Member Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) noted this change will reduce the Navy’s size by 27 destroyers between FY 2026-2034 compared to the class-wide extension plan. “What is the business case for this decision,” Lamborn asked Geurts. “To put it in perspective, what we’re talking about is post-FYDP changes," he said. "So none of these would be until the 2026-30 area. So that was one of the reasons it didn’t get communicated clearly given the shipbuilding plan."