US Navy identifies ships slated for inactivation in fiscal year 2026

USS Lake Erie, shown here, is slated to be inactivated in fiscal year 2026. (US Navy)

The US Navy (USN) plans to inactivate 13 ships during fiscal year (FY) 2026, according to a USN administrative note from the office of the chief of naval operations (CNO).

This includes Los Angeles-class attack submarines USS Newport News (SSN 750), which was already inactivated in January, and USS Alexandria (SSN 757), which is slated for inactivation on 4 August. The list also includes guided-missile submarine USS Georgia (SSGN 729), set to be inactivated on 31 July.

All the submarines are marked on the list to be recycled in the Ship-Submarine Recycling Programme (SRP) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) in Washington state, where teams will remove reactors, decontaminate the vessels, and salvage material.

Two guided-missile cruisers (CGs) are included on the list, USS Shiloh (CG 67) and USS Lake Erie (CG 70), both of which are to be inactivated on 30 September to be used as Logistics Support Assets (LSAs), which will be a primary means of cannibalisation and equipment removal for ships.

Littoral combat ship USS Forth Worth (LCS 3) is scheduled to be inactivated on 31 July and be dismantled.

Landing dock ship USS Germantown (LSD 42) is slated to be inactivated on 29 September to be used as an LSA.

Three Military Sealift Command (MSC) Auxiliary roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) cargo ships have been or are scheduled to be inactivated and transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD): USNS Pomeroy (T-AKR 316) on 1 April; USNS Watkins (T-AKR 315) on 26 July; and USNS Red Cloud