What you need to know: In response to rising tensions with China, the U.S. Navy will extend the service life of twelve Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, maintaining their critical role amid fleet expansion challenges.



Arleigh Burke Class



-Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro emphasized that these guided missile destroyers provide essential firepower and versatility in contested zones such as the Red Sea, where they actively counter threats such as missile and drone attacks.


-This decision underscores the Navy’s commitment to sustaining its fighting force while advancing the construction of newer ships to address the evolving global threat landscape.



-The Navy’s budgetary constraints make the expansion of these critical warships a strategic necessity.



US extends life of twelve Arleigh Burke Destroyers amid rising tensions in China


As tensions with China continue to rise, the US Navy has decided to extend the life of twelve crucial warships.


On Thursday, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro announced that a dozen Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers will operate beyond their expected 35-year service lives.



The Navy made the decision under pressure to maintain a large fleet to counterbalance the hundreds of warships that China might put to sea.


Breath of life


The Navy is having trouble building enough warships, which is the main reason it is delaying the decommissioning of older ships.


According to the Navy, there was a thorough evaluation of all Flight I destroyers (20 warships) and the determination that 12 of them could remain operational beyond their expected service life.


Arleigh Burke Class


“Expanding these highly capable, well-maintained destroyers will further strengthen our numbers as new warships join the fleet,” Del Toro said. said in a press release “It also speaks to their continued role in projecting power globally, and most recently in the Red Sea, their proven ability to defend themselves, as well as our allies, partners and friends, from missile and drone attacks. ”


Named after World War II legend Admiral Arleigh Burke, the Arleigh Burke class of destroyers is the cornerstone of the Navy’s surface combatant fleet with 73 ships (out of a total of 75 destroyers)


The Arleigh Burke class destroyer is critical to the Navy’s mission and has proven itself to be most capable in contested environments, such as the Red Sea,” the Navy added, confirming the role of Arleigh Burke destroyers in active combat operations against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, as well as against Iranian ballistic missile attacks.


“The ultimate determination of the service life of each ship is based on maximizing the service life of each ship before another extensive and costly berth is required,” the Navy said.


Although Flight I destroyers They don’t have the same advanced capabilities as the newer Flight IIA and Flight III versions, they still bring important firepower to the battlefield. Specifically, the package includes a twin Mark 141 Harpoon anti-ship missile launcher and 90 Mark 41 vertical launch systems that can fire a wide range of cruise missiles, including anti-aircraft munitions and Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles.


Arleigh Burke-class destroyer


As for the warship’s capabilities, the Arleigh Burke comes in four versions: Flight I, Flight II, Flight IIAand flight III. The more advanced the version (Flight IIA and Flight III), the better the ship’s capabilities.


“The current budgetary environment requires this the navy to make prioritized investments to keep more players on the field,” said Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations.


The Navy actively uses the appropriate levers to maintain and expand its Battle Force inventory to support the United States’ global interests in peace and decisively win in conflict.


The Arleigh Burke Program is an important chapter for the Navy. It is one of the longest running shipbuilding projects in its history and has been active for 39 years. In total, the Navy has ordered 94 warships of this class, of which approximately 20 ships will be delivered in the coming years.


Destroyers are versatile warships that can carry out a wide range of mission sets including surface combat, air defense, anti-submarine warfareand ground attack.



About the author


Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist, specializing in special operations and a Greek Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work can be seen in Business insider, ZandboxxAnd SOFREP.


Image credits: Creative Commons and Shutterstock.



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