The US Navy’s lead Zumwalt-class destroyer, USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), has successfully completed builder’s sea trials following a major modernisation programme that will see the ship become the U.S. Navy’s first operational platform for hypersonic weapons.
The trials were conducted off the coast of Mississippi by HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division, marking a key milestone in the integration of the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) weapon system. The ship entered the Pascagoula shipyard in August 2023 for an extensive availability focused on converting the class from its original surface-fire support role into a long-range strike platform. During the modernisation, the destroyer was moved ashore to enable large-scale structural and systems work.
As part of the upgrade, the ship’s two 155mm Advanced Gun Systems were removed and replaced with large missile tubes designed to accommodate the CPS hypersonic weapon. The system is intended to provide the US Navy with the ability to strike high-value targets at long range at speeds exceeding Mach 5. Following completion of the main installation work, USS Zumwalt was undocked in December 2024 and underwent further preparations ahead of sea trials to validate propulsion, combat systems and platform performance after the conversion.
Brian Blanchette, president of Ingalls Shipbuilding, said the milestone set an important precedent for the rest of the class.
“We have achieved a pivotal milestone with our Navy and industry partners to advance this complex modernisation work that will set a precedent for the Zumwalt class,” he said. “I’m very proud of the team effort and their critical role to advance the U.S. Navy’s first warship with hypersonic capabilities.”
The Zumwalt-class destroyers feature an integrated electric propulsion system, stealth-optimised tumblehome hull and extensive automation, enabling a significantly reduced crew compared with earlier US surface combatants.
Two sister ships are also progressing toward hypersonic capability. USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002) is currently undergoing CPS integration at Ingalls, while USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001) is scheduled to receive the system during a future maintenance availability. Once operational, the class is expected to provide the US Navy with a survivable, long-range strike option capable of contributing to deterrence, power projection and sea control missions, while serving as a testbed for emerging technologies and future weapons systems.
A the Zumwalt class, the gimmick that keeps on giving.
No matter what the latest buzz word or half assed concept in naval warfare is you can bet the Zumwalt will be “fitted” with it to justify the epic cost of such a failed program.
Now the $5 billion dollar destroyer will be loaded up with $100 million missiles and it can cruise around the battle field being immune to any enemy counter measures except submarines and mines. It often amazes me how the USN can have such a well developed submarine force and yet its surface force seems completely oblivious to anti submarine warfare.
They were far from most Soviet subs during the cold war and believed their own submarine force could deal with it.
Currently the UK covers almost all the Russian subs and Chinese ones are loud so don’t require much specialist equipment. Of course however China will eventually make good submarines and they do have a lot.
There’s also just arrogance and the belief big ship is always better.
That Russian submarine that was on the cusp of sinking an American destroyer in the west Atlantic during the Cuba crisis and very possibly start WW3 must have been a mere aberration.
The US seemed to take the submarine threat much more seriously in the Cold War than it does today, look at the Perry Class. One only has to look at the serious renders of sticking a towed array out the back of a legend class cutter or LCS to do “secondary” missions like ASW, to see the distain the surface navy seems to attach to the under surface threat.
Much the same in WW2 when the argument was always how many guns they could cram on any surface ship then the Germans waltzed in and sunk 400 ships on the East Coast.
The US Submarine service is a total different kettle of fish, it’s immensely cable, well trained and seems to know just how serious submarines are in a modern battlefield. However the two seem from the outside to operate as different services.
Missiles put holes in ships. Hypersonic missiles are likely to put small holes in ships as they pass through. Torpedos sink ships, even an aircraft carrier is easily sunk by a single torpedo.
In fairness, ASW is the province of frigates and carriers (helos and fixed wing aircraft), not large destroyers/cruisers.
Unfortunately the USN appears to have given up on ASW frigates and decommissioned its S3 Vikings without replacement.
Perhaps a golden fleet has no need of ASW capability.
Maybe the Trump class have some super weapon us dumb Europeans are unaware of to stop torpedoes. Apparently they are 500 times more power than the Iowa class.
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