The future of two Jacksonville-based warships remains in doubt after the U.S. Senate approved a $768 billion defense authorization Wednesday that appeared to lack funding that could prevent their decommissioning.
The Navy had previously proposed decommissioning the littoral combat ships USS Detroit and USS Little Rock “to free resources needed to invest in higher priorities,” but that choice had drawn criticism because the ships had only entered Navy service since 2016.
The yearly National Defense Authorization Act, which was approved by the House of Representatives last week but still needs President Joe Biden’s signature, included a rule barring early decommissioning of ships but also a way to waive that requirement.
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