The KDX-II improvement program is scheduled for completion by 2033, long after the class entered service between 2003 and 2008. Completing a major upgrade so late would offer little service afterwards if the ships retired after only thirty years. The schedule therefore supports an expectation of roughly forty-year careers. That is an inference from the investment timetable, with the ships' eventual ability to reach that age still an open question. Upgrade timing helps reveal how long a navy expects to retain an existing design.
Notable Point · 30:52-32:28
A late KDX-II upgrade points to roughly forty years of service
A 2033 improvement deadline makes more sense for ships expected to serve about forty years than for a class due to retire after thirty.