A stealthy new Navy destroyer left a shipyard in ME this week and is on its way to Baltimore where it will be commissioned as the USS Zumwalt as part of the city’s fleet week celebrations.
Advertisement
Hundreds of spectators gathered to watch the stealthy Zumwalt destroyer depart from Bath Iron Works en route to its commissioning in Baltimore.
“They are capable of performing critical maritime missions and enhance the Navy’s ability to provide deterrence, power projection and sea control”, the US Navy said.
– ReutersScreengrab of the US Navy’s most advanced surface warship from the Reuters video.
At 610-ft (186 m) long and 80.7-ft (25 m) wide, the Zumwalt is significantly larger than previous United States destroyers with 100 ft (30 m) more length and 13 ft (4 m) more beam than the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.
During a tour the Navy showed off the ship’s bridge, weaponry and mission center. At about 78 megawatts, it has nearly as much generating capacity as a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. At 610 feet long and 80.7 feet wide, Zumwalt is 100 feet longer and 13 feet wider and its flight deck is 93 percent larger than an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to which it succeeds.
USS Zumwalt will be formally commissioned during Fleet Week Maryland in Baltimore Oct. 15.
Following the ship’s planned commissioning in Baltimore on October 15, the ship will then transit to California for a post-delivery maintenance availability focused on activating the ship’s combat system.
The ship is scheduled for Post Delivery Availability and Mission Systems Activation and is expected to be integrated into the fleet in 2018 following test and evaluation.
Advertisement
The destroyer is named for Adm. Elmo R. “Bud” Zumwalt Jr., served as the top naval officer in the early 1970s and worked to modernize America’s fleet.
