US stealth destroyer suffers electrical failure on first voyage

The second US Zumwalt-class destroyer suffered a coil failure during its first sea trials.

USS Michael Monsoor conducts sea trials. Photo: Military.

USS Michael Monsoor, tThe US Navy's second Zumwalt-class stealth destroyer recently had to cut short its sea trials due to an electrical system problem, Military reported on December 8.

The US Navy said a damaged choke coil on the ship prevented testing and inspection of the ship's electrical and engine systems.USS Michael Monsoorunable to perform the procedure correctly.

Engineers discovered the problem on December 5, a day after the ship left Bath Iron Works for its first sea trials. Fixing the problem could affect the delivery schedule.USS Michael Monsoorto the Navy in March 2018.

USS Michael Monsoor is the second destroyer in the US Navy's state-of-the-art Zumwalt class. The ship is nearly 186 meters long, displacing 15,000 tons, and was built at the Bath Iron Works shipyard in Maine.

The Zumwalt is designed with a hull that has optimal stealth capabilities. Its special shape and antenna arrangement give the Zumwalt a very small radar cross-section, making it difficult for enemies to detect at sea.

The ship's weapon system includes an ASROC anti-submarine torpedo launcher, a Mk57 vertical missile launch system distributed around the ship's hull, and a 155 mm AGS long-range precision gun, using a Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP) with a range of 102 km, not inferior to the power of a cruise missile.

With a crew of 147, the Zumwalt has the smallest crew since the Farragut-class destroyers were built in the 1930s, but is the largest destroyer ever built for the US Navy. According to WCSH6, the total cost of building the Zumwalt is about $4.3 billion.

According to VNE