Wars and warships are inseparable. In present times when the security of one’s nation is the biggest thing on the minds of the leaders of various countries, improvement and enhancement in war capabilities is a must. US being a superpower and being a victim of terrorism (who can forget 9/11?), has always believed in this. With this belief, it has started at-sea tests and trials of the future USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000). The warship has been named after former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Elmo R “Bud” Zumwalt Jr.

It is the largest destroyer ever built for the US Navy and the first of three Zumwalt-class destroyers. The construction of this US$4 billion warship began in 2009 and it was launched in 2014.

The Navy informs that it has been designed to operate independently in forward areas to provide presence and deterrence, as well as operating with joint and combined expeditionary forces as a multi-mission Anti-Air Warfare, Anti-Submarine Warfare, and Anti-Surface Warfare unit. The sea trials conducted in the Atlantic Ocean are the first in a series of tests leading up to the commissioning of Zumwalt next year.

The Zumwalt is unique not only because of its size but also because of its distinct tumblehome hull composite superstructure, which is part of a suite of advanced stealth features that reduce the ship’s radar profile by a factor of 50 over current destroyer designs. The destroyer is armed with two 115 mmAdvanced Gun Systems (AGS)firing rocket-powered precision Long-Range Land Attack Projectiles (LRLAP) with a range of 63 nm (117 km) which is three times greater than current surface gunnery. It can carry a crew of 130 and an air detachment of 28.

The US Navy informs that the Zumwalt is the first US warship to incorporate the Integrated Power System (IPS), which is an all electric system powered by gas turbines. The destroyer also boasts of 80 MK-41 peripheral vertical launch system (VLS) missile cells, a stern ramp for launching two Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats, and a flight deck for two MH-60R or one MH-60R and 3 VT Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Originally, 32 of the Zumwalt-class ships were ordered, but due to cost issues this number got reduced to three. Construction is already underway on the other two namely: Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) and the Lyndon B Johnson (DDG 1001).

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Author:Technology Blog