HII's Ingalls Shipbuilding division has completed a significant modernisation period on the USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000), the US Navy's lead Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyer.
The destroyer was undocked at Ingalls since its arrival at the Pascagoula shipyard in August 2023. This step advances the vessel closer to testing and reintegration into the Navy fleet.
Upon arrival, the ship was placed on land to undergo technology upgrades, including the integration of the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic weapon system.
The Ingalls team also replaced the original twin 155mm Advanced Gun Systems with new missile tubes.
HII president and CEO Chris Kastner said: “In partnership with the Navy we are steadfast in our commitment to complete this complex work that adds significant hypersonic capability to Zumwalt.
“We are proud to support the incorporation of the conventional prompt strike for the Navy.”
Zumwalt-class destroyers have a propulsion system, wave-piercing tumblehome hull, and stealth design, featuring warfighting technology and weaponry.
The DDG 1000-class guided missile destroyers offer multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities, including anti-air warfare, long range precision strike, anti-submarine warfare, and more.
The first Zumwalt-class destroyer was launched in October 2013, with the Navy accepting delivery of DDG 1000 in an incomplete state.
In September 2016, the ship sailed to the west coast for an 18-month post-delivery period to complete installation, integration, and shipyard testing of its combat systems.
In late 2023, the US Department of Defense (DOD) allocated additional funds for the modernisation of Zumwalt-class destroyers.
As per the Congressional Research Service report, ‘Hypersonic Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress’, it was established that the Navy would spearhead the development of a unified Hypersonic Glide Body to be used across different military branches, as issued in a directive by the DOD in June 2018. This glide body is being modified from an Army prototype warhead capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 6, known as the Alternate Re-Entry System.
The Navy's CPS programme aims to integrate this glide body with a booster to form a standardised All Up Round (AUR) that will serve both the Navy and Army.
The initial test flight of the AUR in June 2022 did not succeed. Planned evaluations set for March and September 2023 were also not executed due to issues identified during preflight preparations. A successful test of the AUR was conducted by the DOD in June 2024.
According to fiscal year 2025 budget proposals from the Navy, there was an expectation to have CPS operational on Zumwalt-class destroyers by the conclusion of FY2025. Nevertheless, military officials declared in November 2024 that this deployment schedule would be deferred until 2027.
While there have been indications from Navy authorities regarding ambitions to attain "limited operating capability" with hypersonic weapons on Ohio-class submarines by as early as 2025, and on Virginia-class submarines by fiscal year 2028, and plans for future deployment on Burke-class destroyers, such projections are absent from current fiscal planning documents.
For research, development, testing, and evaluation (RDT&E) of the CPS programme in FY2025, the Navy has proposed a budget of $903.9m. This figure represents a slight increase from the FY2024 request which stood at $901.1m.
It is noted that for FY2025, there has been no request for procurement funding for CPS by the Navy.
