The US Navy Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Cape St. George arrived in its new homeport of Naval Base San Diego, California from Naval Base Everett, Washington, earlier this week after conducting phased modernisation at Vigor Shipyard in Seattle.
The cruiser began modifications in June 2021 and is scheduled to conclude in 2025. During this time, Cape St. George underwent extensive upgrades to its hull, mechanical systems, engineering, and combat systems in preparation for rejoining maritime operations.
Cape St. George was one of three Ticonderoga-class cruisers that had been selected to undergo service life extensions. The other two cruisers are USS Gettysburg and USS Chosin. All three cruisers received extensive hull, mechanical and engineering, as well as combat system upgrades as part of an extended modernisation program.
Gettysburg and Chosin completed modernisation in fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2024, respectively.
The Department of the Navy said that, like the recently announced service life extension of 12 destroyers, extending the lives of these three cruisers will bolster the fleet as new ships are built.
Other Ticonderoga-class cruisers are meanwhile being decommissioned part of an ongoing phase-out program on the ships, which were built from the early 1980s to the early 1990s. Among the cruisers to recently be decommissioned are USS Cowpens and USS Leyte Gulf.