Tag Archives: USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000)

Pascagoula ship spotting

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On my most recent trip back to the old childhood stomping grounds in Pascagoula, I made my regular pilgrimage to The Point (the rough site of the old USCG station and Pascagoula River Lighthouse) and gazed out upon HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding to see who is in the water.

Looking out to the Ingalls West Bank, which was created in the 1970s for the Spruance class DDs, Tico class CGs, and Tarawa class LHAs. Photo: Chris Eger

In the water at the mouth of the Pascagoula River under the big bird crane is PCU USS Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129), a Flight III Burke, which launched on 25 March 2025 and is fitting out. Note another Burke behind her, perhaps the future USS George M. Neal (DDG-131), which is nearing launch later this year. Photo: Chris Eger

Next, afloat in the Pascagoula River proper, is the future USS Bougainville (LHA-8), the first Flight I America-class Lightning carrier. There has been a building LHA or LHD in this stretch of the river my entire life, and I am in my 50s! Photo: Chris Eger

The big 45,000-ton ‘phib began construction in 2018, has been in the water since 2019, and is expected to be delivered to the Navy in August 2026. Needs lots more topside work on that island before then. Photo: Chris Eger

Then there is the future USS Harrisburg (LPD 30), the first Flight II San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock. Laid down in 2022, she took to the water last January and is fitting out. Photo: Chris Eger

Further upstream is the scratch-and-dent old spaceship, USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), looking very rough just months before her 10th birthday as a “commissioned” warship. Note, her forward Advanced Gun Systems house has been removed to clear space for four launchers intended for the Dark Eagle Intermediate-Range Conventional Prompt Strike (IRCPS) missile, with each canister capable of holding three missiles. Photo: Chris Eger

And in the old WWII-era East Bank, in one of the circa 1960s submarine berths, is the future USS Ted Stevens (DDG 128), a Flight III Burke scheduled to be commissioned this Fall in Whittier, Alaska. Photo: Chris Eger

Also, Kevin’s Corner is still making great burgers.

Zumwalts’ New Teeth May Actually Work

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The bright shining promise of the Zumwalt-class DDGs– the largest and most expensive class of destroyers ever built for the U.S. Navy– was in their pair of 155 mm/62 (6.1-inch) Mark 51 Advanced Gun Systems carried forward.

The talisman that allowed the Navy to finally retire the battleships and scuttle the 31 still-young Spruance class destroyers (each with proven twin 5″/45s), the AGS had the mythical ability to fire as many as 10 rounds per minute, per mount, to a range of 83 nmi through the use of an un-fielded Long Range Land Attack Projectile.

AGS would have been beautiful.

However, due largely to the fact that 32 Zumwalts were planned, each with two mounts, but only three hulls ever built, the AGS shrank from nearly 100 mounts including spares and test guns to single digits. This unsustainable program was, essentially, stillborn.

Now, with the Zumwalts only armed with 80 Mk 57 peripheral VLS cells and a pair of 30mm Mk 46 mounts (paltry for a 16,000 ton ship of any type) the Navy has been sending the class to Ingalls in Pascagoula to land their inoperable 6.1-inch guns in exchange for four Advanced Payload Modules (APMs), each holding three Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missiles. In short, swapping two guns that don’t work for a dozen huge and unstoppably fast (that’s the plan, anyway) missiles.

The rub is that CPS isn’t a thing yet either, but the Navy at least now has vetted the concept of launching these big birds from a surface warship without melting its upper decks via the concept of a cold-gas launch.

U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs conducts a cold-gas launch of a conventional hypersonic missile on the path to Navy fielding in Cape Canaveral, Fla. This test informs the Navy fielding approach for the Conventional Prompt Strike offensive hypersonic capability, as well as the continued development and production of the common hypersonic missile that is being developed in partnership with the U.S. Army. (U.S. Navy Photo 250502-D-D0439-1234)

According to the Navy: 

The U.S. Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs is continuing on the path toward the nation’s first sea-based hypersonic fielding with a successful end-to-end flight test of a conventional hypersonic missile from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. This test marked the first launch of the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) capability utilizing the Navy’s cold-gas launch approach that will be used in Navy sea-based platform fielding.

“The speed, range, and survivability of hypersonic weapons are key to integrated deterrence for America,” Secretary of the Navy John Phelan said. “When fielded, Conventional Prompt Strike will deliver unmatched capabilities to our warfighters.”

This test was the next step in the Navy’s flight testing program of the common All Up Round (AUR) that is being developed in partnership with the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office. In 2024, the programs completed two additional end-to-end flight tests of the AUR that will be fielded to both the Navy and Army.

“The cold-gas approach allows the Navy to eject the missile from the platform and achieve a safe distance above the ship prior to first-stage ignition. This technical achievement brings SSP one step closer to fulfilling our role of providing a safe and reliable hypersonic capability to our Navy,” said Vice Adm. Johnny R. Wolfe Jr, Director, Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs, which is the lead designer of the common hypersonic missile.

Swung by Ingalls on Sunday…

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Visited my old Pascagoula stomping grounds at “The Point,” which juts out into the Pascagoula River towards Singing River Island (the old NAVSTA Pascagoula) and is framed by the WWII-era Ingalls East Bank and the Cold War-era Ingalls West Bank.

A couple of new sights to see.

The first of class guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) arrived at Ingalls on Saturday to start a two-year process to install a quartet of 87-inch (diameter) hypersonic missile tubes instead of her failed 155mm gun system. Each tube will hold a trio of Army-Navy joint Common Hypersonic Glide Bodies (C-HGB), for a total of 12 missiles on the ship. These will augment the ship’s 80 MK 57 VLS modules aft, each capable of carrying everything the MK 41 VLS can except an SM-2ER.

All photos by Chris Eger, and please note as such if reused elsewhere. 

Commissioned 15 October 2016, hopefully, Zumwalt will be combat-ready with her hypersonics around 2026. (Photo: Chris Eger)

Down the river from Zumwalt is her younger sister, the PCU USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002), which left Bath on “sea trials” in January 2022 and is expected to enter service with her hypersonics possibly in 2024.

I always thought the Zumwalts had superb hangar facilities and they can reportedly carry two MH-60Rs and three MQ-8 Fire Scouts at the same time. (Photo: Chris Eger)

Near LBJ on the old Singing River is PCU USS Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD-29), the 13th and final Flight I San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, which is fitting out.

She has several changes from the rest of her class including an Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR) volume air search radar, simplified bow works, and a stern gate that is open at the top. McCool will likely be commissioned later this year or early next year, and the Marines really need her.

Near McCool is the future USCGC Calhoun (WMSL-759), the tenth Legend-class National Security cutter.

She just completed her acceptance sea trials early this month and should be leaving for commissioning soon in Charleston, her future homeport. This will leave only the USCGC Friedman (WMSL-760) under construction and a planned 12th NSC still uncertain.

When it comes to Burkes, the Navy’s first Flight III of the class, future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), is on hand and looking great, with the Navy already in possession of the greyhound and expected to leave in October for her commissioning. To the rear of Lucas, with her glad rags flying, is the newly christened PCU USS Ted Stevens (DDG-128), the 78th Burke, which just took to the water last week and only picked up her name the Saturday before this snap was shot.

If you look at DDG-125’s bridge, force protection is already active and ready to go with some M240s on the wings, as it should be.

Deck The P-Ways!

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Naval Base San Diego just held their annual Christmas decoration contest and the ships, as always, look great. Surely some of these images will be celebrated by generations not yet born as icons of the “Old Navy” pre-whatever war comes in future decades.

NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO (December 15, 2022) The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59), displays lights for holiday festivity. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Erica K. R. Higa)

USS Sterett DDG-104

USS Zumwalt DDG-1000

USS Princeton CG-59

USS Boxer LHD-4

USS Paul Hamilton DDG-60

USS Cowpens

USS Tripoli

For the record, the “People’s Choice” from online votes was Boxer, which is important to me personally as I was a constructor plankowner, working on her both pre and post-christening at Ingalls many, many years ago, and sailed on her during her pre-commissioning tiger cruise.

Decking the Bulkheads

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Naval Base San Diego’s recent Holiday Lights Surface Ship Competition saw the San Antonio-class gator USS John P Murtha (LPD 26) take “Best in Show,” while the “Steelworkers” of the Flight I Burke-class destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) took “Best Holiday Spirit” and the testbed Zumwalt-class destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) scored “Best Navy Spirit.”

Those not placing but still looking great included the Flight IIA Burke USS Sterett (DDG 104), Monsoor’s class-leader USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000), and the recently commissioned USS Mobile (LCS 26), who looked as good as when I saw her off from the port city she was constructed at in May.

Of course, the practice is nothing new:

USS MOUNT WHITNEY LCC 20 lit for holidays, 2019

USS Ticonderoga (CVS-14) lit up for Christmas at Naval Air Station North Island, California in December 1971. U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo No. 1996.488.039.067

USS Ticonderoga (CVS-14) lit up for Christmas at Naval Air Station North Island, California in December 1971. U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo No. 1996.488.039.067

USS Perry (DE-1034) Christmas lighting aboard ship while at Key West Naval Station Annex, Key West, Florida. The winner for Destroyer Division 601, 25 December 1961. K-26491

Love Boat shows teeth

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Sigh…

There is really no way to sugar coat it, the USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) has been a pear-shaped embarrassment in terms of naval acquisition, making the LCS and Ford programs look squared away by comparison.

Awarded in 2008, DDG-1000 took eight years to complete, which is kinda shocking for a “destroyer” but of course isn’t when you keep in mind it is actually 14,800-tons, pushing into the size envelope of a WWII-era Baltimore-class heavy cruiser, making them the largest non-carrier surface asset constructed for the Navy since the 15,500-ton nuclear-powered USS Long Beach (CGN-9) commissioned in 1961.

The Zumwalts were to showcase two new weapons platforms, namely the 155 mm Advanced Gun System– which likely will never be operational in practice– and the MK 57 VLS, which uses four-cell missile packs spread along the peripheral edges of the vessel instead of the more traditional 8-cell VLS modules bunched fore and aft.

Mk-57 Peripheral Vertical Launching System (VLS), for now, unique to the Zumwalt-class destroyers

At least it looks like the MK 57 is (almost) up and running, with a test launch of an SM-2 at Point Mugu, on 13 October– notably just 72 hours short of the $4.4B Zumwalt’s 4th commissioning anniversary.

“Today’s successful firing event is a critical milestone in the maturation of this incredible ship class and represents the culmination of a tremendous amount of hard work and partnership of Zumwalt’s talented crew and the engineers, designers, and programmers helping us to bring her capabilities to the Fleet,” said Capt. Gary Cave, Zumwalt’s commanding officer. “It is a day we’ve been looking forward to and demonstrates the strides we are taking to add combat capability to our surface force.”

Everyone is taking this Star Wars thing way too far…

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Yup, she not only floats, but moves too. We give you the $3.5 Billion (with a B), 15,000-ton battleship, err cruiser, err arsenal ship, err sea control ship, err guided missile destroyer PCS Zumwalt.

The future USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) is underway for the first time conducting at-sea trials in the Atlantic Ocean, Dec. 7. The multi-mission ship will provide independent forward presence and deterrence, support special operations forces, and operate as an integral part of joint and combined expeditionary forces

IOC to be reached in 2016