Dead Aim, Or Dead End? The USA’s DDG-1000 Zumwalt Class Program
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The prime missions of the DDG-1000 Zumwalt Class destroyer are to provide naval gunfire support and next-generation air defense in near-shore areas where other large ships hesitate to tread, possibly even as the anchor for an action group of stealthy Littoral Combat Ships and submarines. The estimated 14,500t (cruiser sized) Zumwalt Class will be fully multi-role, however, with undersea warfare, long-range surface attack, and ballistic missile defense roles. As such, the DDG-1000 is also envisioned as a “hidden ace card” that can use its overall stealth to create uncertainty for enemy forces.
At over $3 billion per ship for construction alone, and just 2-8 ships to be built in the class, the program faces significant obstacles as it tries to avoid either “technology demonstrator” status, or the fulfillment of Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter’s fears for the fleet. A follow-on CG (X) cruiser is currently contemplated, and the success of the DDG-1000 Program will have a significant influence on whether and how it comes to fruition.
This is DID’s FOCUS Article for the DDG-1000 program; it covers the new ships’ capabilities, key controversies, related contracts, and related background resources. From the outset, DID has noted that the Zumwalt Class might face the same fate as the ultra-sophisticated, ultra-expensive SSN-21 Seawolf Class submarines. That appears to have come true, with news of the program’s cancelation…
- Zumwalt Class: Program and Participants (i.e. “Continue reading…”)
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