The ultra-modern Zumwalt-class destroyers were to form the new backbone of the US Navy and support Marine Corps landing operations. Today, the focus is on engaging naval targets and the search is still on for affordable ammunition for the Advanced Gun System.
To penetrate enemy waters largely unnoticed by radar stations and launch precise attacks on land targets from a great distance. The ships of the new Zumwalt destroyer class of the US Navy, built at the traditional Bath Iron Works shipyard in the US state of Maine, were launched with this ambitious objective.
The development is considered one of the most ambitious warship projects of all time and was primarily based on the wishes of the Marine Corps, which lacked fire support for potential landing maneuvers. A 155 mm advanced gun system specially developed for the ships was to provide a remedy and fire up to ten Long Range Land Attack Projectiles (LRLAP) per minute with extremely long range and precision. Due to the high costs (one shot would have cost around 750,000 euros), the planned ammunition for the AGS was not purchased and the US Navy is still looking for ways to reduce costs. In the worst-case scenario, the system could even be removed from the platform altogether and replaced by railguns, for example. Partly due to the problems with the AGS system, the main focus of the ships has been changed from engaging land targets to sea targets, with SM-2 and SM-6 missiles completing the armament alongside Maritime Strike Tomahawk cruise missiles. The original plan was to launch up to 60 ships of this type – later there was talk of 32 and then 7 – which would have seen the Zumwalt class replace the Arleigh Burke class as the backbone of the US Navy’s destroyer fleet. However, with a unit price of around 4 billion euros per ship (!), this plan has long since been abandoned and the project has been limited to three ships for the time being. The first ship, the “USS Zumwalt” (DDG 1000), was handed over to the Navy in May 2016, followed by the commissioning of the destroyer “Michael Monsoor” (DDG 1001) in January 2019. The third ship, the “Lyndon B. Johnson” (DDG 1002), is still under construction and is currently scheduled for commissioning in December 2021. In the following, we look at some of the highlights and technical features of the Zumwalt destroyers: 
Stealth shape
The absence of surfaces arranged at right angles to the water surface, few edges and hardly any protruding structures significantly reduces both the radar and infrared signature. This effect is further enhanced by the comparatively narrow “tumblehome hull”. On enemy radar screens, the destroyers should therefore appear like small, 15 to 20 meter long fishing boats that pose no threat.
Integrated Power System
In addition to the two 34.5 megawatt main turbine generators, two further Rolls Royce RR4500 turbine generators each deliver an output of 3.9 megawatts. The Integrated Power System (IPS) thus supplies up to 77 megawatts of power – enough to supply around 50,000 households with energy and, in addition to current weapon systems, sensors, propulsion and life support systems, to operate energy-intensive future weapon systems such as railguns and lasers.
Sonar & radar
The ship’s sensors provide an excellent view of the battlefield above and below the water surface. The AN/SPY-3 multifunction radar operates in X-band and has a range of up to 350 kilometers. A dual-band sonar system is also integrated, consisting of a bow-mounted high-frequency sonar for mine hunting and a medium to low-frequency sonar for submarine hunting. A multifunctional towed sonar is also available.
Dimensions
The Zumwalt-class ships are 24.6 meters wide and 186 meters long. This makes the destroyers almost as long as two soccer pitches.
Speed
Two Rolls-Royce MT-30 main turbine generators (similar in design to the engines of the Boeing 777) deliver 34.5 megawatts of power and propel the ships at speeds of up to 30 knots (55.6 km/h).
Displacement
With a displacement of 15,656 tons, the Zumwalt-class ships are significantly heavier than the other destroyers in the US Navy.
Weight
The weight is 16,000 tons each. This corresponds to around 400 fully loaded heavy-duty trucks. Lined up directly next to each other, these trucks cover a distance of 7.5 kilometers.
Vertical launch systems
The ships are equipped with 80 vertical launch systems of type MK 57, which can be used to fire SM-2 and SM-6 surface-to-air missiles and Evolved Sea Sparrow, as well as the ASROC anti-submarine missile and long-range anti-ship missiles.
Small cannons (top left)
The ship’s armament is rounded off by two 30-millimetre MK 46 GWS rapid-fire weapons. These are primarily used to combat drones, small aircraft and small boats.
155-mm Advanced Gun System (top right)
The two 155-millimetre Advanced Gun System cannons are designed to fire up to ten high-precision Long Range Land Attack Projectiles (LRLAP) per minute over a range of up to 150 kilometers. In order to conceal the ship from enemy radar, the approximately ten-meter-long barrels of the cannons remain hidden until they are deployed.
Hangar
Behind the deckhouse there is a landing area for helicopters, with a hangar integrated into the superstructure. A Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk and three Northrop Grumman RQ-8A Fire Scout (VTUAV) drones, or alternatively two Seahawks, can be accommodated there.
Special operations
Two rigid-hull inflatable boats can also be dropped off and picked up via a stern gate while underway, for example to allow commando units to carry out special operations.
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