US Navy scraps Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Vicksburg after spending $754 million to modernize it

The U.S. Navy has scrapped the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG-69) despite having spent approximately $754 million on a modernization program for the vessel. The decision highlights the difficult choices facing the Navy as it manages an aging surface combatant fleet while balancing modernization costs against hull service life. The scrapping of a recently modernized cruiser raises questions about procurement and maintenance planning within the Navy's surface warfare portfolio and the future of the Ticonderoga class as a whole.