Stealth Warship USS Zumwalt Completes Sea Trials After Hypersonic Conversion
USS Zumwalt, the U.S. Navy’s first surface vessel configured for Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) missions, has successfully completed sea trials following its conversion into a hypersonic strike platform, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), its builder, announced in a press release.
USS Zumwalt, the lead ship of the Zumwalt-class destroyers, arrived at the Ingalls Shipbuilding yard in Pascagoula in August 2023 for modernization. Shortly after, the vessel was moved onto land, where the Ingalls team carried out major technology upgrades.
As part of the upgrade, the ship’s two 155mm Advanced Gun Systems were removed and replaced with large missile tubes designed to carry CPS hypersonic weapons, giving the U.S. Navy the capability to strike high-value targets at long range at speeds exceeding Mach 5.
While HII’s announcement did not specify combat system testing, the trials are described as a key step toward returning the ship to operational service in its new configuration.
Beyond marking a return-to-service, the trials demonstrate that the Zumwalt-class hull and integrated electric drive architecture can support hypersonic strike integration after the removal of the original gun-based armament.
The third Zumwalt-class destroyer, Lyndon B. Johnson, is currently at Ingalls Shipbuilding for combat system activation and the installation of new missile tubes. The second ship, USS Michael Monsoor, is in San Diego, California, and is also scheduled to receive its CPS installation.
