The littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth will be decommissioned more than a decade early on Wednesday in San Diego in an effort by the Navy to save money on a vessel that’s been by costly mechanical problems and structural defects.
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The ship was expected to be in service for 25 years when it was commissioned in 2012. It was designed to be an agile, high-speed vessel that could carry out security patrols and other missions in shallow, near-shore waters.
But Fort Worth developed serious propulsion problems. And a 2022 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that the ship and other littoral vessels were not well enough designed to withstand an enemy attack. Government reviews also have found that littoral ships are far more expensive to operate than anticipated.
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The Navy built 35 littoral combat ships, seven of which have been decommissioned early. More than a dozen of these vessels are currently homeported in San Diego.
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