Why the US Navy wants to retire eight ships early

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy intends to decommission 11 ships in fiscal 2024, including eight ahead of their planned end of service life — fewer than the 24 it requested to decommission in its FY23 submission, but still likely to reignite debate on Capitol Hill.
Those set for early retirement as part of a divestment strategy include three Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock landing ships the Navy tried to retire last year; three Ticonderoga-class cruisers, one of which the Navy tried to retire last year; and two Independence-variant littoral combat ships that would be just eight and nine years old at decommissioning.