The Navy initially sought to purchase more than 30 of the hulls, but at the direction of then-Secretary of Defense Bob Gates trimmed the class to three ships.
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The U.S. Navy’s futuristic Zumwalt destroyer has arrived in Rhode Island for its first port visit since leaving the shipyard to join the fleet.
The US Navy has revealed that its largest-ever destroyer, and most technologically-advanced surface ship to date, left the Bath Iron Works in Maine, US, on Wednesday and is preparing for its three-month journey to its home port in San Diego.
The departure from Bath follows the May delivery of the 16,000-ton destroyer to the service after several months of delay for a testing period to prove out the ship’s first-of integrated propulsion system (IPS).
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.
The $4.4 billion new destroyer is the first of its class.
But despite its size, Zumwalt is crewed by just 147 sailors, about half that of the Arleigh Burke-class.
“The 147 Sailors of Zumwalt (DDG 1000) have completed the training and certifications required of them in record time”. “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.
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The Zumwalt is named after Admiral Elmo R. “Bud” Zumwalt Jr., former chief of naval operations from 1970 to 1974. A veteran of World War II and the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, Adm. Zumwalt served 32 years of dedicated naval service, earning a Bronze Star with Valor for his actions during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
