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.

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.

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 (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.

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.

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.

“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.”

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

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.

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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