The Navy’s newest and most technologically advanced warship, USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000), is moored to the pier during a commissioning ceremony at North Locust Point in Baltimore. U.S. Navy Photo
As you may have heard the U.S. Navy’s newest and most technologically advanced destroyer, USS Zumwalt, was commissioned into service in Baltimore this past weekend while in town for the city’s Fleet Week festivities.
Zumwalt is the lead ship of a new class of next-generation multi-mission destroyers, featuring a state-of-the-art electric propulsion system, wave-piercing tumblehome hull, stealth design, and the latest warfighting technology and weaponry available.
The USS Zumwalt was built at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works shipyard in Bath, Maine. Construction on the destroyer began more than 7 years ago in February 2009.
Displacing more than 15,000 tons, the Zumwalt is by far bigger than approximately 9,200 ton Arleigh Burke-class destroyers that preceded it.
The Navy says the 610-foot, wave-piercing tumblehome hull design, a throwback to early battleships, provides a wide array of advancements. The shape of the superstructure and the arrangement of its antennas significantly reduces radar cross section, making the ship less visible to enemy radar at sea.
U.S. Navy Photo
According to the Navy, the USS Zumwalt is tailored for sustained operations in the littorals and land attack, and will provide independent forward presence and deterrence, support special operations forces, and operate as an integral part of joint and combined expeditionary forces.
The (estimated $3 to $4 billion) destroyer is now headed for its homeport of San Diego where it will begin installation of its combat systems, more testing, and evaluations before Zumwalt is integrated with the rest of the Navy fleet.
The U.S. Navy is also planning two more Zumwalt-class ships, both of which are already under construction at Bath Iron Works.
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