Yesterday (27 August), the third destroyer of the Zumwalt-class, the ship was taken to the Bath Iron Works shipyard in the US state of Maine for sea trials for the first time. The namesake, Lyndon B. Johnson, was born in Texas on the same day in 1908. Coincidence or plan? We don't know, but we are delighted that what is probably the last ship of the class is now not only afloat, but also sailing. Johnson was the 36th President of the USA between 1963 and 1969 and is the only politician to have given his name to a ship of the class.
Originally, the US Navy planned to build up to 32 destroyers of this type. However, escalating costs quickly reduced the number to 24, and later to seven. With the total cost of the project now well in excess of 22 billion dollars, the Pentagon pulled the ripcord in 2009: no more than three ships were to go to sea.
While many modern warships differ only in details, even a layman can recognise the Zumwalt-class at first glance. Their striking, "upside-down" bow and silhouette, designed to minimise radar reflection, were intended to enable them to operate largely undetected. With a length of 190 metres, the giants displace almost 16,000 tonnes. Their diesel-electric propulsion allows a maximum speed of 30 knots. The armament includes a vertical launching system with 80 cells for Evolved SeaSparrows, Tomahawks or Asrocs. Noteworthy are the two 155-millimetre guns, which are also housed in lockable casings to reduce the signature.
First run-out
Text: mb; Photos: General Dynamics/Bath Iron Works
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