Why Flight III deliveries need not immediately replace Flight I Burkes

Were Flight III Arleigh Burkes already replacing the Flight I ships?

At the time of the episode, no Flight I ship had yet left service; Flight III ships could replace them eventually without each delivery triggering an immediate retirement.

The November 2025 answer observes that the first Flight III ship is already in service while the Flight I ships have not yet begun leaving it. New deliveries therefore do not establish that a one-for-one replacement has already occurred. Continued demand for hulls and the ambition to grow fleet numbers support a prediction that the original Arleigh Burke could remain in service for forty to forty-five years. That is a forecast made during the episode, rather than a confirmed retirement schedule.