The POM Bomb
When you consider all that happy talk as Admiral Roughead was going out the door about making sure ships can make it 30, 35, 50, 75 years - this data point should provide the real Roughead legacy, in a fashion.
Via a forwarded email, Names removed to protect pretty much everyone involved. In part;
Based upon the ALT POM changes- the Department plans to inactivate the ships below:+/- a year or two, this is where we are:
CG (FY 13): 60, 68, 69, 71
CG (FY 14): 59, 63, 64, 65, 66
LSD (FY 14): 41, 43, 46
While there may be some further discussion with the CGs with respect to which ones in which year- these are the hull numbers (and OPNAV concurred).
Per 10 USC 2244A, any modernization (except safety modifications or modifications costing less than $100K) is not allowed within 5 years of retirement/disposal. NAVSEA (any SYSCOM) should not provide FY 12 (or remaining FY 11) procurement funds to any of the above platforms (except safety modifications). If funds are already spent on these platforms, that is okay given that these are recent changes. The key is to ensure no new money is being spent.
- USS CAPE ST. GEORGE (CG-71) was commissioned in 1993. In FY13 she will be, yes Liberal Arts math here - 20 years old.
- USS PRINCETON (CG-59), commissioned in 1989 in FY14 will be 25 years old.
- USS WHIDBEY ISLAND (LSD-41) commissioned in 1985 will in FY14 be 29 years old;
- USS TORTUGA (LSD-46) will be 24 years old.