The U.S. Navy has accepted delivery of the USS Zumwalt, the lead ship in the Navy’s next-generation multi-mission destroyer.
Zumwalt (DDG 1000) achieved Hull Mechanical & Electrical delivery from shipbuilder General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works in May 2016. With this latest delivery, Zumwalt will transition from Combat Systems Activation to the next phase of at-sea testing.
“Delivery is an important milestone for the Navy, as DDG 1000 continues more advanced at-sea testing of the Zumwalt combat system,” said Capt. Kevin Smith, DDG 1000 program manager, Program Executive Office, Ships. “The combat test team, consisting of the DDG 1000 sailors, Raytheon engineers, and Navy field activity teams, have worked diligently to get USS Zumwalt ready for more complex, multi-mission at-sea testing. I am excited to begin demonstrating the performance of this incredible ship.”
The 610-foot ship design features a wave-piercing tumblehome hull and an integrated power system capable of distributing 1000 volts of direct current across the ships’ entirety. Adding to its stealthiness, the shape of the superstructure and the arrangement of its antennas significantly reduces radar cross section, making the ship less visible to enemy radars.
“Every day the ship is at sea, the officers and crew learn more about her capability, and can immediately inform the continued development of tactics, techniques, and procedures to not only integrate Zumwalt into the fleet, but to advance the Navy’s understanding of operations with a stealth destroyer,” said Capt. Andrew Carlson, the Commanding Officer of USS Zumwalt. “After sailing over 9000 miles and 100 days at sea in 2019, we are absolutely looking forward to more aggressive at-sea testing and validation of the combat systems leading to achievement of initial operational capability.”
The USS Zumwalt is the first ship of the Zumwalt-class destroyers. The USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) is homeported in San Diego and is undergoing combat systems activation. The third and final ship of the class, the future USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG 1002), is under construction at BIW’s shipyard in Bath, Maine.
USS Zumwalt will now join the U.S. Pacific Fleet battle force and remains assigned to Surface Development Squadron One.
Updated: November 18, 2020 (Originally published April 27, 2020)
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