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Zumwalt class destroyer

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Zumwalt-class destroyer

Class Overview
Class Type Guided missile destroyer
Class Name In honor of Admiral Elmo R. “Bud” Zumwalt Jr.
Preceded By Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer
Succeeded By N/A, latest destroyer class authorized
Ships of the Class: Zumwalt

The Zumwalt class destroyer is a future class of United States Navy destroyer, designed as a multi-mission ship with a focus on land attack. The lead ship is named the Zumwalt, for Admiral Elmo Zumwalt. Following Navy tradition, this will be called the Zumwalt class. Prior program names were DD-21 and DD(X).

The United States Navy plans to utilize the DDG-1000 destroyer project as replacement for the Iowa and Wisconsin battleships, which were stricken from the US Navy list on March 17, 2006. Among U.S. warships in development, the DDG-1000 is to be preceded by the Littoral Combat Ship and followed by the CG(X) cruiser concurrent with the CVN-21 aircraft carrier. The DDG-1000 program resulted from large re-organization of the DD21 program when Congress cut its budget by over half (Part of the SC21 program of the 1990s).

Originally the Navy had hoped to build a total of 32 of these destroyers, then reduced that number to 24, before reducing it to a grand total of seven. The reason for this reduction is the high cost of several new and experimental technologies which are set to be incorporated in the destroyer[Taken from the National Defense Authorization Act of 2007, pages 69 and 70]. The US House of Representatives remains skeptical of the DDG-1000 destroyer program for financial reasons, and has therefore allotted the Navy only enough money to begin construction on one DDG-1000 destroyer as a "technology demonstrator". The funding allocation for the DDG-1000 destroyer was included in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2007.[Taken from the National Defense Authorization Act of 2007, pages 69 and 70]

Contents

Design and Development

The DDG-1000 will feature: a low radar profile; an integrated power system, which can send electricity to the electric drive motors or weapons, which may someday include railguns; a total ship computing environment infrastructure (TSCE-I), serving as the ship's primary LAN and as the hardware-independent platform for all of the ship's software ensembles; automated fire-fighting systems and automated piping rupture isolation. It is being designed to require a smaller crew and be cheaper to operate than comparable warships. It will have a wave-piercing "tumblehome" hull form whose sides slope inward above the waterline. This will reduce the radar cross-section, returning much less energy than a more hard-angled hull form.

In late 2005, the program entered the detail design and integration phase, in which Raytheon is the Mission Systems Integrator. Both Northrop Grumman Ship Systems and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works share dual-lead for the hull, mechanical and electrical detail design. BAE has the advanced gun system and the MK57 VLS. Almost every major defense contractor (including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine, L-3 Communications), and sub-contractors from nearly every state in the US, are involved to some extent in this project, which is the largest single line item in the Navy's budget. During the previous contract, development and testing of 11 Engineering Development Models (EDMs) took place:

Originally known as the DD-21, the class was renamed in 2001 when its acquisition program was reworked. DD-21 stood for "21st Century Destroyer." According to a Government Accountability Office report[Government Accountability Office Report], milestones include: USS Hayler (DD-997) (1982) was the last Spruance-class destroyer, and DDG-112 (2010) is to be the last Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. The Zumwalt's hull number will be DDG-1000.

Development

The House of Representatives is against the DDG-1000 and has cut some funding, preferring to build another Arleigh Burke class destroyer and the new littoral combat ships. The Senate supports the DDG-1000 and continues to approve more funding.

It was reported on October 17, 2005, that an October 5 Pentagon report recommended "cancelling the DD(X) destroyer being developed by Northrop Grumman Corp." [link]

On November 23, the Defense Acquisition Board approved a plan for simultaneous construction of the first two DDG-1000 ships at Northrop’s Ingalls yard in Pascagoula, MS, and General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works in Bath, ME. However, as of that date, funding has yet to be authorized by Congress.

In late December 2005, the House and Senate agreed to continue funding the DDG-1000 program, however only seven of these ships will be built instead of the originally planned 23 to 30.

In April 2006 the first of the class was announced and will be named the Zumwalt and carry the designator DDG 1000. The ship will be named to honor the former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Elmo R. “Bud” Zumwalt Jr.

Specifications

Aircraft

Armament

Radar

Trivia

was the first RTS game to have DD[X] in the game, it serves the Task Force Talon as a destoyer.
Dai Senryaku VII: Modern Military Tactics includes the DD[X], calling it the 'Zumwalt'.

The novel Choosers of the Slain by James H. Cobb features a futuristic destroyer similar to the DD[X] involved in a conflict with Argentinian forces.

References

External links

Websites run by companies involved in the DD(X) Destroyer program

Governemnt reports regarding the DD(X) Destroyer program

 

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