The five early ships that never received VLS left service in 2004-2005. Later ships had modernization histories that made retirement politically contentious. USS Vicksburg is the clearest example because Congress could point to a recent, expensive service-life extension when the Navy proposed disposing of the ship. Sunk refit costs, current readiness, and future maintenance needs can pull retirement decisions in different directions. The tightly packed class also remained expensive to sustain despite recent investment.
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Modernization spending versus early retirement
The class's retirement debate turns on whether recently modernized ships justify the cost of keeping crowded, aging hulls in service.