When it comes out breaking the waves of the sea, on the radar it does not appear like a giant warship but like a small fishing boat. This is USS Zumwalt which is considered to be the world’s most lethal and stealth destroyer. With its peculiar tumblehome design and sloping walls, it has the ability to enter and attack the enemy’s home without being noticed, but is this $22 billion dollar (about Rs 2 lakh crore) experiment just an engineering miracle or the biggest need of the modern navy?
1. formations and stealth techniques
The biggest feature of USS Zumwalt is its Stealth Capability. Its radar cross-section is 50 times less than that of conventional destroyers.
· Design: Its ‘tumblehome’ hull is tilted inwards, due to which the radar waves collide and scatter.
· Material: A large amount of composite material has been used in making it which absorbs radar waves.
· Noise Reduction: Its engine and propulsion system have been made so quiet that it is very difficult to catch it even with sonar.
2. Firepower and weapons
It was initially equipped with a 155mm Advanced Gun System (AGS) but due to the shells being too expensive ($8,00,000 per shot), this system was removed in 2024-25.
· Hypersonic Missiles: By 2026, it has been equipped with Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missiles. It can attack 5 times faster than the speed of sound (Mach 5+).
· VLS System: It has 80 vertical launch cells (Mk 57 VLS) that can fire Tomahawk cruise missiles and surface-to-air missiles.
· Laser Weapon: It has sufficient power output (78 MW) to be capable of operating future laser and railgun weapons.
3. Range, speed and price
· price: The cost of this entire project has been approximately $22 billion dollars (for 3 ships). The construction cost of a single ship is more than $4.4 billion.
· motion: It can run at a speed of 30 knots (about 56 km/hr) in the sea.
· Range: Its operational range and fuel capacity allow it to perform missions globally, although it is primarily deployed to the Indo-Pacific region.
4. History of war
Even though it is called a ‘battleship’, USS Zumwalt has not yet participated in any active combat. It was commissioned in 2016 and since then it has mainly been undergoing tests, training exercises and now a hypersonic upgrade. It is currently being used as a ‘deterrence’ and ‘power projection’ tool.
question Answer
1. Can USS Zumwalt be seen on radar?
It cannot be made completely disappear but on radar it looks like a small ‘fishing trawler’ which confuses the enemy.
2. Why were its main guns (AGS) removed?
The gun shells were too expensive and their lethality was not as high as expected, so they were replaced with hypersonic missiles.
3. How many ships are there in the Zumwalt class?
Initially, 32 ships were to be built but due to huge expenses only 3 were built: USS Zumwalt, USS Michael Monsoor, and USS Lyndon B. Johnson.
4. How many crew members does it have?
Because of the automated systems, it can be operated by a crew of only 147 to 175 people, half that of older ships.
5. After whom is it named?
It is named after Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, the youngest Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) of the US Navy.
