Key Points and Summary – The U.S. Navy’s three Zumwalt-class destroyers, a program plagued by cost overruns and technical failures, are getting a new lease on life.
-The ships’ main 155mm Advanced Gun Systems—a failure due to their $800,000-per-shot ammunition—are being physically removed.
-In their place, the Navy is installing the new Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missile system, giving the destroyers a Mach 5+, long-range strike capability.
-This key change, combined with a major “ZEUS” upgrade to their radar and combat systems, aims to finally transform these troubled Zumwalt-class ships into the powerful assets they were meant to be.
The Zumwalt-Class: Hypersonic Missile Time?
Admiral Elmo Russell “Bud” Zumwalt Jr. (November 29, 1920 – January 2, 2000) was one of the most beloved and revered United States Navy officers ever to hold the position of Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), for reasons we shall discuss. It is only fitting that he would have an entire class of warships named in his honor, namely the Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyers (DDGs).
Alas, poor old Admiral Zumwalt has probably been rolling over in his grave on account of the fact that the performance of the vessels named in his honor has been (to put it as kindly and diplomatically as possible) inauspicious and underwhelming.
Indeed, for a while it looked as though the Zumwalt-class DDGs were dead in the water.
However, as the famous USN rallying cry goes, “Don’t Give Up the Ship.” There is a last-ditch effort to give the Zumwalts a new lease on life and keep them operationally viable: as seaborne launching platforms for hypersonic missiles. Question is: Will the hypersonics be enough to save the Zumwalt-class?
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
A recent and useful update comes to us courtesy of an August 19, 2025, article for Navy Lookout titled “Repurposing the US Navy’s Zumwalt-class destroyers with hypersonic strike capability.”
To wit: “Instead, they are now being repurposed to carry the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missile system … USS Zumwalt began its refit in floating dry dock at HHI Ingalls Shipyard in August 2023, marking the start of an extensive overhaul. Removal of the forward AGS turret will provide space to install four Multiple All-Up Round Canisters (MACs) designed specifically for the CPS All Up Rounds (AUR) … The CPS missile can travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5, striking targets more than 3,000km away. This gives the USN an unprecedented non-nuclear rapid strike capability, suitable for neutralising high-value, highly defended, or time-sensitive threats…The AUR is a complete missile canister that includes the two-stage rocket booster and the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB).”
Zumwalt-Class In Bad Shape X Screenshot.
Lockheed Martin manufactures the CPS System.
The “AGS turret” refers to the 155mm Advanced Gun System turrets, which, on paper at least, are capable of firing GPS-guided Long-Range Land Attack Projectiles (LRLAP) at ranges of over 53.99 nautical miles (62.1 statute miles; 100 kilometers). The Zumwalts were initially armed with two of these gun turrets.
However, as impressive as these guns’ capabilities sound in theory, they’re beset with the problem of ridiculously expensive ammo: those fancy LRLAP shells cost a whopping $800,000 each! What’s more, the manufacturer of the AGS, BAE Systems, originally claimed these advanced guns had a reach of 83 nautical miles (95.5 statute miles, 153.7 kilometers); in other words, the actual range amounted to a mere 65 percent of the manufacturer’s lofty claims, amounting to a major letdown at best and downright false advertising at worst.
Ergo, in addition to strategic, operational, and tactical sense, the switch from AGS/LRLAP to CPS/AUR is an improvement from a dollars standpoint.
But Wait, There’s More
The hypersonic missiles aren’t the only upgrade from which the Zumwalts are benefiting. There’s also the Zumwalt-Class Enterprise Upgrade Solution (which gives us the catchy acronym of “ZEUS”), which consists of the following improvements:
-Combat system modernization
-Incorporation of the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) datalink
-Sophisticated electronic warfare (EW) suites
-Upgraded anti-submarine warfare (ASW) systems
-AN/SPY-6(v)3 radar system
The SPY-6 is the centerpiece of the ZEUS program; manufactured by Raytheon, it significantly improves air and missile defense capabilities by providing enhanced detection range and advanced electronic scanning. Meanwhile, the other features bring the Zumwalt-class ships more closely in line with the rest of the US Navy’s Aegis-equipped fleet.
Zumwalt-Class Destroyers Initial History and Specifications
Appropriately enough, USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) was the lead ship of the class, built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, laid down on November 17, 2011, launched on October 28, 20013, christened on April 12, 2014, and commissioned on October 15, 2016. She was followed by two sister ships:
–The USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001); laid down on May 23, 2013; launched on June 21, 2016; commissioned on January 24, 2019
–The USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002); laid down on January 30, 2017; launched on December 9, 2018; commissioning date planned for sometime in 2027
The trio of Zumwalts bear the following specifications and vital stats:
Displacement: 15,907 tons fully laden
Hull length: 610 feet (190 meters)
Beam Width: 80.7 feet (24.6 meters)
Draft: 27.6 feet (8.4 meters)
Propulsion:
2 × Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines generating 47,500 horsepower (35.4 megawatts) each
2 × Rolls-Royce RR4500 turbine generators producing 5,100 horsepower (3.8 megawatts)
2 × monobloc propellers driven by electric motors
Max speed: 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Crew Complement: 128 core crew of commissioned officers and enlisted sailors; 28 air detachment crew
Armament (as originally designed):
2 × 155 mm (6-inch)/62 caliber Advanced Gun System
2 × 30 mm (1.2-inch) Mk 46 Mod 2 Gun Weapon System
20 × Mk 57 vertical launch system (VLS) modules, four cells per module, 80 launch cells total, with a capacity for:
4 × RIM-162 Evolved Seasparrow Missiles (ESSM)
1 × Tomahawk cruise missile
1 x RIM-174 Standard Extended Range Active Missile (ERAM)
1 x RUM-139 vertical launch anti-submarine rocket (ASROC)
Early on, it appeared as though these destroyers were going to be “The Next Big Thing” (so to speak) in naval warfare. Raytheon’s official website declared them to be “America’s next-generation combat ships.” Besides the AGS gun system, they also boasted the following fancy features:
–Total Ship Computing Environment (TSCE);
-Electronic modular enclosures;
-Integrated undersea warfare system designed to protect the ship from enemy mines, submarines, and torpedoes alike;
-Integrated power system allowing for a so-called “all-electric” ship.
However, besides the aforementioned problems with the gun system, the Zumwalt DDGs were also plagued by unreliable engines. Accordingly, the originally planned fleet of 32 ships was pared down to three, and the Arleigh Burke-class became the primary DDGs of the USN. But, between the CPS/AUR (hypersonic missiles are quite the rage nowadays) and ZEUS, mayhaps these formerly star-crossed vessels will finally start living up to their potential after all.
Postscript: Mini-Bio of the Zumwalt-Class’ Namesake
As we noted in the opening sentence of this article, ADM Elmo Zumwalt Jr. was one of the most beloved CNOs of all time. Accordingly, we now come full circle by concluding this article with a brief recounting of his life story.
He was born in San Francisco, California, the son of Elmo Russell Zumwalt Sr. and his wife, Frances Pearl (née Frank) Zumwalt, both country doctors. Elmo Jr. was appointed to the US Naval Academy (USNA) in 1939, graduating with distinction in 1942, a year early, and getting commissioned as Ensign two years early, due to World War II. (Previously, new USNA graduates were required to serve two years of sea duty before receiving their commissions.) His early sea tours included service aboard four destroyers (DDs) as well as the Iowa-class battleship USS Wisconsin (BB-64).
Zumwalt went on to command the destroyer escort USS Tills (DE-748), the destroyer USS Arnold J. Isbell (DD-869), the guided missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG-45), Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla Seven, and Naval Forces, Vietnam.
He first attained flag rank on 1 July 1965. It was on 1 July 1970 when Bud Zumwalt reached the pinnacle of his naval career, as then-President Richard Milhous Nixon tapped him as the 19th CNO in July 1970 at the age of 49, in the process becoming the youngest officer ever named to the post. ADM Zumwalt would retire exactly five years later. His impressive array of accomplishments during his stint as CNO included:
-The commissioning of the Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigates (FFGs).
-The creation of the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs).
-Championing of the F-14 Tomcat as the USN’s replacement for the F-4 Phantom II.
-“Z-gram” Z-66, which improved career opportunities for minorities within the Navy; in the good Admiral’s own words, “There is no black Navy, no white Navy—just one Navy—the United States Navy.”
-“Z-gram” Z-116: Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women in the Navy, which opened ratings to enlisted women, established a pathway for women to be assigned to ships, and opened all staff corps and restricted line communities to women. The lasting positive impact of Z-116 was manifested most prominently when ADM Lisa Franchetti served as both the first female CNO and the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) from November 2023 to June 2025.
Bud Zumwalt met and married Mouza Coutelais-du-Roche whilst serving in Shanghai in 1945. They had four children. The eldest son, Elmo Zumwalt III, served as a Lieutenant (j.g.) on one of his father’s patrol boats during the Vietnam War. Tragically, in January 1983, Elmo III was diagnosed with lymphoma, and in 1985, it was then discovered he also had Hodgkin’s disease; the cancer would claim his life on 14 August 1988 at the way-too-young age of 42. Father and son alike firmly believed that this ultimately fatal affliction was a direct result of exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.
ADM (Ret.) Zumwalt passed away at age 79 at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, from mesothelioma. His funeral service was held at the Naval Academy Chapel, where then-President Bill Clinton eulogized him as “the conscience of the United States Navy.” He was laid to rest at Section 3, Lot 3082 of the USNA Cemetery.
About the Author: Christian D. Orr, Defense Expert
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU).
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