Sad Outcome for the USS Bonhomme Richard
The U.S. Navy has decided to decommission and scrap the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), which was severely damaged by a shipboard fire in San Diego in July.
Three alternatives were considered including repairs, conversion to a hospital ship, or decommissioning and scrapping the ship. Sadly the third made the most financial sense.
She will likely be replaced with a new America-class (LHA 6) amphibious assault ship which will take five to six years and cost an estimated $4.1 billion.
The Bonhomme Richard was built for $750 million in 1998 dollars, equivalent to $1.2 billion today.