The U.S. Navy's most modern and most heavily armed and largest destroyer, the oddly shaped USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), is expected to join the United States Seventh Fleet in Hawaii by the end of the year.
The USS Zumwalt, the lead ship in the Zumwalt-class, passed acceptance trials a few months ago and was delivered to the Navy last May. She will sail to Baltimore for commissioning on October 15 and will then head to the Pacific Ocean to complete the activation of her combat systems.
The activation will see her fire her long-range precision 155 mm guns and missiles from its peripheral vertical launch system. The system can fire anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine rockets and surface-to-air missiles.
The destroyer will be home-ported at Naval Base San Diego in California, principal homeport of the United States Pacific Fleet consisting of 50 warships.
The United States Pacific Fleet has command over the U.S. Navy Third Fleet defending the U.S. West Coast and Alaska and the U.S. Navy Seventh Fleet assigned to Asia.
The second Zumwalt-class destroyer, the USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001), was christened June 18 at the Bath Iron Works in Maine. The Navy said construction of the warship is now 75 percent complete. When completed, the Monsoor is also expected to join her sister ship as part of the Seventh Fleet.
The third and last Zumwalt-class destroyer, the USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG) is currently being built at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works and has an expected delivery date in 2018.
This ship is of special interest because she's to be armed with the U.S. Navy's potent electromagnetic railgun that stands to revolutionize ship-to-ship combat and shore bombardment.
The U.S. Navy's Naval Sea System Command is studying the feasibility of adding an EM railgun to the USS Lyndon B. Johnson, said Vice Adm. William Hilarides, commander of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).
Adm. Hilarides said studies will determine if the Zumwalt-class has the space and power to deploy an EM railgun that will replace the 155 mm gun mounted ahead of the ship's deck house.
"We have begun real studies -- as opposed to just a bunch of guys sitting around -- real engineering studies are being done to make sure it's possible," said Admiral Hilarides.
The railgun to be mounted on DDG-1002 will have a range of over 160 kilometers and will fire special hypervelocity rounds. Future rounds will be self-guided, and the first tests of this capability took place this summer.