DD-1000 Zumwalt

DD-1000 Zumwalt

The DDG-1000 Zumwalt is a planned class of United States Navy destroyers designed as multi-mission ships with a focus on land attack. The DDG-1000 Zumwalt is a scaled-back project that emerged after funding cuts to the larger DD-21 vessel program. The program was previously known as the "DD(X)". The DDG-1000 Zumwalt is multi-role and designed for surface warfare, anti-aircraft, and naval fire support. They take the place of battleships in filling the former congressional mandate for naval fire support, though the requirement was reduced to allow them to fill this role. The vessels' appearance has been compared to that of the historic ironclad warship.

DD-1000 Zumwalt

DDG 1000 replaces the DD 21 Zumwalt programme which was for a class of 32 multimission destroyers to replace Oliver Hazard Perry Class frigates (FFG 7) and Spruance class destroyers (DD 963) from 2012.

Unlike previous classes of destroyer, which were primarily to counter deep-water threats, the DD 21's primary mission would be to provide land attack support for ground forces and carry out traditional destroyer missions of anti-air, anti-surface and undersea warfare.

DD-1000 Zumwalt

The DDG-1000 Zumwalt is planned to feature a low radar profile; an integrated power system, which can send electricity to the electric drive motors or weapons, which may some day include a railgun or free-electron lasers; total ship computing environment infrastructure, 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. The class is designed to require a smaller crew and be less expensive 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. As of January 2009, the GAO found that only four out of 12 of the critical technologies were mature.

DD-1000 Zumwalt

Overview

• Name: Zumwalt
• Builders: Huntington Ingalls
• Operators: United States Navy
• Preceded by: Arleigh Burke-class destroyers
• Cost: US$3.45 billion (unit cost), US$7.0 billion (total unit cost including R&D)
• In service: April 2013 (forecast)
• In commission: March 2015 (forecast)

General characteristics

• Type: Multi-mission destroyer, emphasis on land attack
• Displacement: 14,564 long tons (14,798 t)
• Length: 600 ft (180 m)
• Beam: 80.7 ft (24.6 m)
• Draft: 27.6 ft (8.4 m)
• Propulsion: 2 Rolls-Royce Marine Trent-30 gas turbines driving Curtiss-Wright generators and emergency diesel generators, 78 MW (105,000 shp); 2 propellers driven by electric motors
• Speed: In excess of 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
• Sensors and processing systems:  AN/SPY-3 Multi-Function Radar (MFR) (X-band, scanned array)
• Armament:
  • 20 × MK 57 VLS modules, with a total of 80 launch cells; RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM), 4 per cell; Tactical Tomahawk, 1 per cell; Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine Rocket (ASROC), 1 per cell
  • 2 × 155 mm Advanced Gun System; 920 × 155 mm rounds total; 600 in automated store + Auxiliary store room with up to 320 rounds (non-automatic) as of April 2005; 70–100 LRLAP rounds planned as of 2005 of total
  • 2 × Mk 110 57 mm gun (CIGS)
• Aircraft carried:
  • One SH-60 LAMPS helicopter or MH-60R helicopter
  • Three MQ-8 Fire Scout VT-UAVs
• Aviation facilities: Flight deck and enclosed hangar for up to two medium-lift helicopters