Navy proposes decom of first 4 LCS

ELMER, N.J. – The Navy has proposed to decommission the first four Littoral Combat Ships in FY 2021 as part of a cost-savings measure, according to a memorandum from Office of Management and Budget to the Defense Department. The memo outlines plans to decommission the LCS Freedom, Independence, Fort Worth and Coronado, part of an overall plan to shrink the size of the force to deal with a flat budget. The ships all have between a 12 and 17 years of planned hull life left. Independence and Coronado were both built at Austal USA of Mobile, Ala. The memo also outlines the decommissioning of three dock landing ships: USS Whidbey Island, Germantown and the Gunston Hall, from eight to 14 years early. (Source: Defense News 12/24/19) https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2019/12/24/us-navy-proposes-decommissioning-first-4-lcs-more-than-a-decade-early/