US Navy Is Trying To Retire All Of Its Guided-Missile Cruisers By 2027

US Navy Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam in the South China Sea. Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Marcus L. Stanley/U.S. Navy via AP  

Insider: The US Navy's plan to ditch its cruisers will leave it out of a small and well-armed club 

* The US Navy is trying to retire all of its guided-missile cruisers by 2027. 

* US cruisers are specialized for air defense and are among the best-armed naval ships in service. 

* Lawmakers are dismayed by the Navy plan, believing it will reduce US firepower as China's navy grows.

In April, the US Navy presented an ambitious plan to decommission all 22 of its Ticonderoga-class cruisers by 2027. The move is not surprising. 

The Navy has tried to rid itself of its cruisers for years, but Congress has consistently rejected its proposals, largely out of concern that decommissioning them would take away a much-needed weapon as China's naval force continues to grow. 

With the retirement of the last battleships nearly 20 years ago, cruisers are the largest surface combatants — a category that generally doesn't include aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships — in service.  

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