USS Zumwalt arrived in Mississippi to be fitted with hypersonic missiles.

According to a tweet published by Chris Cavas on August 22, 2023, the Zumwalt class destroyer, USS Zumwalt, docked at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, MS, for an extensive 2-year upgrade. This revamp will involve the installation of launch tubes for the hypersonic Conventional Prompt Strike missiles, replacing the two 155mm Advanced Gun Systems.
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Zumwalt class destroyer USS Zumwalt at Pascagoula, Mississippi. (Picture source: US Navy)

The USS Zumwalt has a displacement of 14,564 long tons and measures 600 feet in length, with a beam of 80.7 feet and a draft of 27.6 feet.

Her power source is an integrated system consisting of two Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines. Each turbine can produce up to 35.4 MW. These turbines are connected to Curtiss-Wright electric generators.

Additionally, there are two Rolls-Royce RR4500 turbine generators, with each generating 3.8 MW. The Integrated Power System (IPS) propels the ship through two propellers, which are powered by GE Power Conversion Advanced Induction Motors with VDM25000 Drive. This results in a combined power output of 78 MW, enabling the ship to achieve speeds of up to 33.5 knots.

Beyond its propulsion, the Zumwalt is designed to accommodate a crew of 142 personnel. It is fitted with advanced sensor systems, such as the AN/SPY-3 Multi-Function Radar (X-band, scanned array) and the Volume Search Radar (VSR) in the S-band range.

The vessel comes with 20 MK 57 VLS modules, each containing 4 vertical launch cells, amounting to a total of 80 cells. These cells can house various missiles like the RIM-66 Standard Missile, RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM), BGM-109 Tomahawk, and RUM-139 VL-ASROC.

The ship also has two 155 mm Advanced Gun Systems with a capacity for 920 rounds, and two Mk 46 30 mm guns. For air operations, it can hold two SH-60 LAMPS helicopters or one MH-60R helicopter, and three MQ-8 Fire Scout VTUAVs.

The USS Zumwalt's potential capabilities are being expanded with tests on the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) system, a boost-glide hypersonic weapon. This weapon aims to give U.S. Combatant Commanders a method to target valuable and time-sensitive assets, overcoming strong air defenses.

The first phase of testing for the CPS, known as the Joint Flight Campaign (JFC-1), began in June 2022. Despite an unexpected issue during this test, adjustments have been made, and further tests are in the pipeline.