All three ships of the Zumwalt class are undergoing significant upgrades, including the replacement of standard 155mm deck guns with hypersonic missile tubes.
The USS Zumwalt, one of the most promising and controversial warships in the recent history of the US Navy, recently completed its sea trials after nearly three years in the shipyard.
The USS Zumwalt Is Back at Sea
The lead ship of the Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyers has been at the Ingalls Shipbuilding shipyards since August 2023, undergoing extensive refitting. The Navy replaced the destroyer’s guns with missile tubes that will give the warship the ability to fire hypersonic missiles.
With the advent of missile tubes, the Navy hopes to turn the USS Zumwalt and her sister ships into blue-water strike platforms. According to the shipyard, the USS Zumwalt received the Prompt Strike (CPS) weapon system and replaced the original twin 155mm Advanced Gun Systems with new missile tubes that can fire hypersonic munitions.
“We have achieved a pivotal milestone with our Navy and industry partners to advance this complex modernization work that will set a precedent for the Zumwalt class,” Brian Blanchette, Ingalls Shipbuilding president, said in a company press statement. “I’m very proud of the team effort and their critical role to advance the U.S. Navy’s first warship with hypersonic capabilities.”
During the Surface Navy Association’s national symposium earlier in January, Zumwalt-class program manager Captain Clint Lawler said the plan for the USS Zumwalt was to follow the delivery back to the active roster.
The senior Navy officer added that the USS Zumwalt would also be outfitted to carry and test the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) missile. Adding hypersonic munitions to the destroyer would greatly improve its strike capabilities.
“The plan is to get the ship available this year and then to support [initial operational capability] when the testing schedule supports that,” Lawler said.
The Zumwalt-class destroyers initially sported two 155mm guns on deck. The guns also used an elaborate magazine system that went through several levels below the deck to accommodate the ammunition for the guns. As part of the refitting process, the Navy has replaced the two 155mm guns with four large missile tubes, each of which can carry up to three hypersonic missiles for a total of 12 munitions.
“We removed both guns from the ship. We’ve recovered some of the space under the second gun system for spaces that were previously used under the forward gun mount. We’ve essentially recaptured some of that space. Other space is a reservation for future capability, “ Lawler added.
The Whole Zumwalt Class Are Getting Upgrades
The USS Zumwalt is not the only ship of the class that is getting an update. The other two ships of the Zumwalt-class will also rejoin the fleet with the new weapon systems and sensors. USS Michael Monsoor, the second ship of the class, is currently undergoing the CPS installation process in San Diego, while USS Lyndon B. Johnson, the third ship of the class, is at the Ingalls shipyard undergoing combat system activation and the installation of the new missile tubes.
Designed as stealth warships, the Zumwalt-class destroyers are known for their unique hulls—and, more notoriously, for the many issues caused by their innovative systems, especially their electric propulsion system.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock / Mike Shamon.
