US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro announced that 12 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers of the Flight I version will undergo an operational life extension program to remain in service beyond 35 years. The 12 vessels, whose operational life will be extended, will be evaluated based on the condition of the vessel and its subsystems. The works that will be done on the ships concern their general inspection (vessel, engines, systems) and their repair. The US Navy has built and maintains in service 21 Arleigh Burkes of the Flight I version, which entered service between 1991 and 1997 and were to be retired between 2026 and 2032, having completed 35 years of service. We recall that in March and August 2023 it was decided to extend the operational life of two and four “Arleigh Burke” Flight I by five years, so that they would remain in service for 40 instead of 35 years. In January 2021 the US Navy announced that all 21 ‘Arleigh Burke’ Flight I’s would not only reach the end of their contractual operational life of 35 years, but would remain in the Fleet for many more years. The reason is that the US Navy does not have the funds to replace all 21 of the original Arleigh Burkes in the run-up to the retirement and replacement of the Ticonderoga, which are older Arleigh Burkes, and the LCS which have proven unsuitable.
