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    USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) Upgrade in 2023: Equipping with Hypersonic Missiles for Unparalleled Naval Capability

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    The USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) is undergoing a major transformation to become one of the most powerful assets in the U.S. Navy’s arsenal.

    The technologically advanced guided-missile destroyer, which arrived at the Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, on August 19, 2023, is set to undergo a monumental upgrade to its weapon systems.

    Visitors tour the USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) in Ketchikan, Alaska.” by Official U.S. Navy Imagery is licensed under CC BY 2.0

    The Navy has awarded HII a $154.8 million contract to retrofit the Zumwalt with hypersonic missiles, aiming for the ship to be ready for deployment by 2025.

    USS Zumwalt” by cmfgu is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

    The Zumwalt’s relocation to Pascagoula marks the beginning of a two-year period of modernization that will see the installation of the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missile system.

    This system, a cooperative development between the U.S. Army and the Navy, utilizes Common Hypersonic Glide Bodies (C-HGB) that can strike targets anywhere on the globe with minimal warning—a capability that fundamentally alters the strategic calculus in modern warfare.

    USS Zumwalt at Yokosuka, Japan Oct2022” by Doricono is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

    “USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) arrived in Pascagoula, Miss., today to enter a modernization period and receive technology upgrades including the integration of the Conventional Prompt Strike weapon system,” reads a statement from the Navy provided to USNI News.“The upgrades will ensure Zumwalt remains one of the most technologically advanced and lethal ships in the U.S. Navy.”

    The retrofitting process involves the removal of the original twin 155mm Advanced Gun Systems—a move propelled by the impractical costs associated with maintaining these systems.

    With the Navy’s decision to shift the focus of the Zumwalt-class destroyers from close shore operations to blue water environments, the once costly and dysfunctional deck guns will be replaced by four 87-inch missile tubes capable of holding three C-HGB missiles each, totaling 12 missiles onboard the Zumwalt.

    USS Zumwalt arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam” by #PACOM is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

    The CPS program faces the daunting task of integrating this novel technology into the DDG 1000, with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) having previously expressed concerns about meeting the planned deployment schedule.

    USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) departs San Diego as part of an operational underway.” by Official U.S. Navy Imagery is licensed under CC BY 2.0

    Delays in the development of the hypersonic weapon system might necessitate an extension of the ship’s maintenance period or a deferral to the next scheduled period for incorporating the system.

    USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) conducts a live-fire missile exercise.” by Official U.S. Navy Imagery is licensed under CC BY 2.0

    “The CPS program office noted that significant scope and challenges associated with the first-time integration of CPS may present risks to achieving DDG 1000’s installation schedule. In reviewing CPS program office information on critical technologies, we found that significant work remains for the program to demonstrate technology maturity,” reads the report.“If the hypersonic weapon is not ready for integration on the DDG 1000 at the time of the aforementioned maintenance period, the Navy may have to extend the duration of the planned maintenance period or wait for the next scheduled period to incorporate the system on the ship.”

    USS Zumwalt departs Bath, Maine to conduct acceptance trials.” by Official U.S. Navy Imagery is licensed under CC BY 2.0

    Despite these challenges, the Navy remains committed to fielding the hypersonic weapons on the Zumwalt by the December 2025 deadline.

    USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) as the ship pulls into Pearl Harbor.” by Official U.S. Navy Imagery is licensed under CC BY 2.0

    This schedule aligns with the larger strategic goal of deploying the weapon in the Virginia Payload Module on Block V Virginia-class attack submarines by 2029.

    related images you might be interested.

    USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000)” by Asitimes is licensed under CC BY 2.0

    Relevant articles:
    HII Awarded $155M Contract for USS Zumwalt Hypersonic Missile Upgrade, USNI News, Aug 29, 2023
    USS Zumwalt Arrives in Mississippi for Hypersonic Weapon Installation, USNI News, Aug 19, 2023
    USS Zumwalt to receive hypersonic missile upgrades at HII, Defense News, Aug 31, 2023
    San Diego-based destroyer USS Zumwalt to be outfitted with new hypersonic missiles, San Diego Union-Tribune, Sep 6, 2023

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