A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) details major failures in the U.S. Navy’s $3.7 billion Ticonderoga-class cruiser modernization program, citing poor planning, oversight issues, and wasted resources. Initiated after Congress rejected the Navy’s 2012 proposal to decommission aging cruisers, the modernization effort aimed to extend the service life of 11 ships by five years. However, systemic flaws led to significant cost overruns and delays, with $1.84 billion spent on four ships—Hue City, Anzio, Cowpens, and Vicksburg—that were retired without ever deploying again.
The program began in 2015 and was later scaled down to seven ships. According to the GAO, the Navy underestimated the scope of work required, resulting in 9,000 unplanned contract changes and substantial cost growth.
Deferred maintenance further exacerbated the problems, while weak quality assurance measures limited the Navy’s ability to hold contractors accountable for poor performance. The modernization process also involved unusual measures, such as drastically reducing crew sizes to 45 sailors during the maintenance phase, contributing to operational delays.
Ultimately, only three ships—Gettysburg, Chosin, and Cape St. George—are expected to complete modernization, though none will achieve the intended five-year service life extension. The report emphasizes that the $3.7 billion spent could have nearly funded two new destroyers instead.
The GAO warns that similar risks threaten the Navy’s upcoming $10 billion Arleigh Burke-class destroyer modernization program and the amphibious ship service life extension effort. Without implementing lessons from the cruiser program, such as improved planning, maintenance forecasting, and contractor oversight, the Navy risks repeating these failures across its surface fleet.
The Ticonderoga-class cruisers, built in the 1980s and 1990s, play a vital role in U.S. naval operations, equipped with Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and advanced air defense systems. They serve as command and control platforms within carrier strike groups, hosting air defense commanders and executing critical air, missile, and anti-submarine warfare missions.
