U.S. Navy Could Just Donate 24 Ships To Ukraine Rather Than Retire Them

The Navy that once wanted smaller, speedy warships to chase down pirates has made a speedy pivot to Russia and China — and many of those recently built ships could be retired.

Photo Insert: The US Navy wants to decommission nine ships in the Freedom-class of littoral combat ships (LCS)— warships that cost about $4.5 billion to build.

The US Navy wants to decommission nine ships in the Freedom-class of littoral combat ships (LCS)— warships that cost about $4.5 billion to build, David Sharp reported for the Associated Press (AP).

The Navy contends in its budget proposal that the move would free up $50 million per ship annually for other priorities. But it would also reduce the size of the fleet that’s already surpassed by China in sheer numbers.

Adm. Mike Gilday, chief of naval operations, defended the proposal that emphasizes long-range weapons and modern warships while shedding other ships ill equipped to face current threats.

“We need a ready, capable, lethal force more than we need a bigger force that’s less ready, less lethal, and less capable,” he said Monday, April 4, at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space symposium in Maryland.

One suggestion is to refit the LCS vessels and send them to Ukraine to fight Russian aggressors along with five cruisers and two submarines.

The Navy wants to scrap 24 ships as part of its cost-cutting needed to maintain the existing fleet and build modern warships. Those cuts surpass the proposed nine ships to be built. While most of them are old, the LCS vessels that are targeted are young. The oldest of them is 10 years old.

The LCS program was announced after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The ships topped 50 mph (80 kph) — fast enough to chase down pirates — and were highly maneuverable, even in shallow water, thanks to steerable waterjets instead of propellers.

The size of the US Navy has dipped from 318 ships to 297, while the Chinese fleet has grown from 210 to 360 ships over the past two decades.

US Senate Armed Services Chair Jim Inhofe said the LCS program was plagued by troubles from the start, and that “moving forward the Navy must avoid similar acquisition disasters.”

US Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Virginia, was blunter, tweeting that it “sucks” to be decommissioning so many ships, especially newer ones. “The Navy owes a public apology to American taxpayers for wasting tens of billions of dollars on ships they now say serve no purpose,” she said.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic