The U.S. Navy has transformed the troubled Zumwalt-class destroyer from an $8 billion failed land-attack ship into a stealthy hypersonic strike platform capable of hitting targets 1,725 miles away in just 10 minutes. The lead ship USS Zumwalt has now returned to sea for the first time since 2023 with 12 Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic missiles capable of speeds over Mach 5—a stunning reinvention for a program that nearly became one of the worst Navy boondoggles of the modern era.
The Zumwalt-Class: An Open Question for the U.S. Navy?
Zumwalt-class Guided Missile Destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) transits the Pacific Ocean, June 25, 2022. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, four submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug 4 in and around Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971.
The US Navy’s troubled Zumwalt-class destroyers got a much-needed boost with the integration of Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missiles.
With these new weapons, the troubled destroyers are transitioning from a “failed” land-attack ship into a specialized, stealthy, long-range hypersonic strike platform, acting as a crucial testbed for the US Navy.
USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) took to sea for the first time since 2023 after the installation of large missile tubes capable of fielding hypersonic strike weapons was completed in the HII shipyard in Pascagoula, MS.
The Lyndon B. Johnson, second in class, is undergoing modifications to fire hypersonic missiles, promising global reach and offensive power.
But the larger question is, with a payload of only a dozen hypersonic missiles, is it worth the time and money being invested in it? We’ll look at the program.
Hypersonic Missiles Replacing The Gun System Was Imperative
Currently, Ingalls Shipbuilding, a Mississippi shipyard, is installing vertical hypersonic missile tubes on the Zumwalt-class destroyers, replacing the twin turrets of the 155 mm Advanced Gun System that was never activated due to its high ammunition costs.
Each round of ammunition costs about $800,000+, which was prohibitive. And although the range was reportedly 63 miles, the missiles replacing it had a range more than twenty times that.
(July 28, 2022) U.S. Navy Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) sails in formation during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022, July 28. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, three submarines, more than 30 unmanned systems, approximately 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Aleksandr Freutel)
“We have achieved a pivotal milestone with our Navy and industry partners to advance this complex modernization work that will set a precedent for the Zumwalt class,” Brian Blanchette, Ingalls Shipbuilding president, said in a statement.
“I’m very proud of the team effort and their critical role in advancing the U.S. Navy’s first warship with hypersonic capabilities.”
The U.S. Navy is refitting its three Zumwalt-class stealth destroyers with Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missiles to provide a long-range, rapid-strike capability sometime in 2026. These weapons, capable of traveling over Mach 5, will replace the ships’ main gun systems, with each vessel expected to carry up to 12 missiles.
Meet The Conventional Prompt Strike Weapon System
The Zumwalt class will employ the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) system, a hypersonic boost-glide weapon capable of traveling over 1,700 miles.
CPS pairs advanced hypersonic missiles with submarines and surface ships to hit high-value targets anywhere in the world within minutes instead of hours.
CPS is a new class of non-nuclear, ultra-fast strike capability that can penetrate modern defenses and respond to emerging threats almost instantly.
Lockheed Martin is developing the CPS system for the Navy, the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) for the Army, and the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) air-to-ground missile for the Air Force.
The glide body is the same across different missiles, which helps reduce costs, speed development, and simplify future upgrades.
The Block V Virginia-Class Submarines Will Also Carry CPS Missiles
Following the Zumwalts, the next vessels to carry CPS rounds will be the Block V Virginia-class submarines, with missile storage enabled by the addition of 4 extra missile silos in the Virginia Payload Module (VPM).
USS Missouri Virginia-Class Submarine. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The Navy is removing the two 155mm Advanced Gun Systems (AGS) on each ship and replacing them with four large Advanced Payload Module (APM) tubes, with each tube capable of housing three missiles.
The USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) is undergoing a refit, with testing expected to continue this year. The goal is to have all three ships in the class (including Michael Monsoor and Lyndon B. Johnson) upgraded.
This potentially transforms the Zumwalt class from a troubled coastal support ship into a premier, stealthy, long-range strike platform, particularly critical for potential Pacific theater conflicts.
The missiles are designed to be non-nuclear, relying on extreme speed (over a mile per second) and maneuverability to strike targets, which makes them highly accurate but technically challenging to develop.
The Zumwalt destroyers are the first U.S. surface combatants to carry these weapons, with the capability expected to be fully integrated across the class to provide a significant, non-nuclear strategic, high-speed strike option.
Are 12 Missiles Enough To Justify The Zumwalt-class?
The integration of hypersonic missiles onto the Zumwalt-class destroyer is indeed a significant step that could help “save” the program by revitalizing its purpose and enhancing its relevance in a potential future conflict with China.
(April 21, 2021) Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) participates in U.S. Pacific Fleet’s Unmanned Systems Integrated Battle Problem (UxS IBP) 21, April 21. UxS IBP 21 integrates manned and unmanned capabilities into challenging operational scenarios to generate warfighting advantages. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Shannon Renfroe)
Initially designed with advanced features like stealth and electric propulsion, the Zumwalt class faced challenges, particularly with its expensive gun system.
The Navy had planned to order 32 Zumwalt destroyers, but there are now only three in service.
The two Advanced Gun Systems have failed, and schedule slips and cost overruns have plagued the program. The CPS missiles increase the range of the Zumwalt-class from 63 miles with the Advanced Gun System to 1,725 miles.
The Zumwalt-class ships cost the Navy around $8 billion each, and it is unclear whether the fitting of hypersonic missiles on the destroyers will lead to increased procurement.
Navy Captain Clint Lawler, program manager of the DDG 1000 destroyer program, said, “The plan is to get the ship available this year and then to support [initial operational capability] when the testing schedule supports that.
“We removed both guns from the ship. We’ve recovered some of the space under the second gun system for spaces that were previously used under the forward gun mount,” Lawler added. “We’ve essentially recaptured some of that space. Other space is a reservation for future capability.”
The Navy hopes that having a high-stakes “first-strike deterrence platform” against near-peer adversaries outweighs the limited number of missiles the ships can carry.
The Navy Is Trying To Salvage Some Of the Cost Of the Program
One can’t fault the Navy for trying to find a use for this very expensive and (to date) failed program. The Navy spent a whopping $10 billion on research and development and another $12 billion on just three (3) warships.
However, the destroyers have had a spotty maintenance record and have suffered from reduced capacity. Some critics of the ship call it an “expensive mistake” and a classic example of the “sunk cost fallacy.”
Can The Zumwalt Class Finally Be A Powerful Strike Platform?
The Zumwalt’s unique, low-radar-signature hull allows it to operate closer to hostile coasts, providing a stealthy platform for long-range, hypersonic missile strikes that aircraft carriers cannot provide, making it a critical tool for deterring adversaries in the Indo-Pacific.
This makes it a much more valuable and versatile platform in the event of war with China, specifically over Taiwan.
Hypersonic missiles, capable of speeds exceeding Mach 5, offer a critical standoff strike capability against a wide range of targets, including those previously requiring naval gunfire support.
“I refer to all the ships that get hypersonics as the Larry Bird ships of the Navy,” Jerry Hendrix, a retired Navy captain and former Pentagon staff member who is now a senior fellow at the Sagamore Institute, said, referring to the legendary three-point shooter who played for the Boston Celtics.
“These ships, because of the ranges associated with hypersonics, will be able to do that pinpoint accuracy from way outside the shooting range for the rest of the fleet.”
Because the Zumwalts are designed with a low-radar cross-section, they’ll be able to operate “much more comfortably” in regions where adversaries are practicing area-denial strategies that might keep other platforms at bay, Hendrix added.
Adding the CPS hypersonic missile upgrade transforms the Zumwalt from a potentially obsolete warship into a potent and relevant platform, capable of projecting power and deterring potential adversaries of the United States in the 21st century.
And it reduces an enemy’s response times. A Tomahawk missile takes about an hour to hit a target 800 kilometers away, while the CPS will hit the target in ten minutes. A recent report states that the CPS can travel from Guam to the Taiwan Strait in just 30 minutes.
However, with only three ships in the class and no plans to build more, this move, while important, may only serve to introduce hypersonics to more classes of Navy surface ships. The Navy is trying to find a mission for the Zumwalts they weren’t really designed to perform.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
