U.S. Navy decommissions Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Lake Erie and Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Germantown in San Diego

The U.S. Navy has decommissioned the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie and the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Germantown in ceremonies held in San Diego. USS Lake Erie was notably used for ballistic missile defense tests, including the 2008 Operation Burnt Frost engagement of a malfunctioning satellite. The retirement of both vessels reflects the ongoing drawdown of the Ticonderoga class as the Navy prepares to transition cruiser-equivalent air defense functions to the Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and future platforms.