The U.S. Navy is transforming its costly Zumwalt-class destroyers into a potent weapon by retrofitting them with the first shipborne hypersonic weapon. The USS Zumwalt is currently undergoing modifications at a Mississippi shipyard, where workers are installing missile tubes that replace twin turrets from a gun system that was never activated due to its high cost.
The hypersonic weapon, called the “Conventional Prompt Strike,” is a game-changer for the Navy, allowing it to conduct fast and precise strikes from greater distances. The system is being developed jointly by the Navy and Army, and each of the three Zumwalt-class destroyers will be equipped with four missile tubes, each capable of launching three hypersonic missiles.
The hypersonic weapon travels at speeds of Mach 7 to 8, or seven to eight times the speed of sound, making it difficult to intercept. This technology has been in development for over two decades, but recent tests by Russia and China have accelerated its production.
The Navy has chosen to retrofit the Zumwalt-class destroyers with hypersonic weapons in an effort to add to the usefulness of the warships, which were criticized for being an expensive mistake. The Zumwalt-class destroyers are considered the Navy’s most advanced surface warships, with innovations such as electric propulsion, angular shapes to minimize radar signature, and composite deckhouses.
The hypersonic weapon system will come at a steep price, with a cost of nearly $18 billion to buy 300 of the weapons and maintain them over 20 years. Critics have raised concerns about the cost-benefit ratio of the technology, but proponents argue that it provides the capability for Navy vessels to strike an enemy from a distance of thousands of kilometers, outside the range of most enemy weapons.
The Navy plans to begin testing the system aboard the Zumwalt in 2027 or 2028. According to the Navy, a U.S. hypersonic weapon was successfully tested over the summer, and development of the missiles is continuing.
