U.S. Navy’s CNO Explains the Reasons for Retiring Older Ticonderoga-class Cruisers - Naval News

Ok. I read the comments. I take it that none of them realize that the newest, did I say newest, Ticonderoga Cruiser is 27 years old. The oldest one in service was commissioned in 86. I'd rather see new cruisers than that stupid Ford.

I know I sometimes come across as one of those "never trust the g'mnt" types - because I am. But we are reaping what we sowed. IMHO, we have "smart shipped" our crews and outsourced maintenance to a point that we no longer have the needed skill sets or the sheer numbers of sailors to maintain our Navy. We have only one (1) tender in commission vs a couple of dozen in the 80's. Identify the choke points on the globe. Subic is gone. Kaohsiung & Keelung are gone. Singapore is a yard scramble. Lumut is too small. Sydney, Melbourne & Fremantle are too far south. Holy Lock gone. Rota, Gaeta, La Madd, Naples, Augusta Bay are port calls. Ships look big and bad, but they take more maintenance than an English sports car.