U.S. Navy To Inactivate Submarines, Cruisers And Support Ships In 2026

The U.S. Navy has released an updated list of 14 vessels it plans to inactivate in fiscal year 2026, including attack submarines, cruisers, a littoral combat ship and several support vessels, as the service tries to balance aging ships, maintenance backlogs and future fleet demands.

The list was published in NAVADMIN 099/26, an official Navy administrative message released April 27. The Navy said the schedule is intended to help fleet commanders plan decommissioning, maintenance availability and inactivation work for both battle force and non-battle force vessels.

The ships listed for inactivation are USS Newport News, USS Alexandria, USS Georgia, USS Shiloh, USS Lake Erie, USS Fort Worth, USS Germantown, USNS Red Cloud, USNS Watkins, USNS Pomeroy, USNS VADM K. R. Wheeler, USNS John Ericsson, USNS Pecos and USNS Big Horn.

Among the most significant names are the Los Angeles-class attack submarines USS Newport News and USS Alexandria, both slated for recycling, and the Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Georgia, also listed for recycling. Navy Times reported that the service intends to remove 14 ships from the fleet during the current fiscal year.

The list also includes two Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers, USS Shiloh and USS Lake Erie, both scheduled for Sept. 30 and listed as logistics support assets. Under the Navy's message, ships placed in that category can be used for cannibalization and equipment removal to support other vessels, with removals authorized without replacement.

USS Fort Worth, a Freedom-class littoral combat ship, is scheduled for inactivation July 31 and listed for dismantling. The LCS program has faced years of criticism over mechanical problems, high maintenance costs and changing mission priorities, and the Navy has already moved to retire several ships from the class earlier than originally expected.

The amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown is scheduled for Sept. 29 and will also become a logistics support asset. Several Military Sealift Command vessels are headed for transfer to the Maritime Administration, including USNS Red Cloud, USNS Watkins, USNS Pomeroy, USNS Pecos and USNS Big Horn.

The Navy said the updated schedule supersedes earlier fiscal 2026 inactivation lists issued before and after Congress passed the authorization and appropriations bills. The message also directs fleet commanders to submit organizational change requests for commissioned ships and says any changes crossing fiscal years must be coordinated with the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations because of congressional force-structure requirements.

The retirements come as the Navy faces pressure to grow and modernize while also dealing with shipyard delays, aging hulls and maintenance backlogs. Axios reported earlier this month that the Navy decided to retire the USS Boise, a nuclear-powered attack submarine that had spent nearly a decade inactive because of maintenance delays, with Navy Secretary John Phelan saying the move would save billions and free up shipyard resources.

The updated list shows the Navy is not just trimming old ships. It is making choices about which vessels are worth repairing, which can still provide spare parts, and which should be transferred or dismantled as the service tries to preserve readiness for the ships it keeps.