The Zumwalt destroyer can transform into a ship killer

The US Zumwalt-class destroyers will be upgraded, focusing on the role of anti-ship warfare rather than ground attack.

Stealth destroyer USS Zumwalt. Photo: US Navy

The US Navy is making a major change to the mission of its Zumwalt-class stealth destroyers. Instead of bombing targets deep inland, America's most modern warships will switch to the mission of destroying enemy surface ships. Experts say this change reflects a strategic shift in the context of the increasingly powerful Russian and Chinese navies, according to Popular Mechanics.

After the Cold War ended, the Russian navy no longer posed the same threat to the United States as it did under the Soviet Union. With no competition at sea, the United States began to shift its focus to land warfare. By the 2000s, the U.S. Navy wanted to build a new class of destroyers to support ground operations after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

The result was the stealth destroyer Zumwalt, whose mission was to secretly approach enemy shores and bombard targets with its two 155mm AGS guns. The US Navy wanted 32 of these destroyers, but the cost was so high that the force ordered only three and did not equip the AGS with special long-range ammunition.

While the US engages in ground wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, Russia and China are investing heavily in increasing their naval power, challenging the US Navy's dominance of the ocean. Military expert David Axe said that the shift from land attack to anti-ship missions shows that the US Navy officially admits the failure of the original design purpose of the Zumwalt-class stealth destroyer.

The unit price of a Zumwalt-class ship is more than $4 billion, forcing the US Navy to cut the number of ships to three to focus on building the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. In addition, the Long Range Land Attack (LRLAP) shells for the AGS guns also cost nearly $1 million each, forcing the US Navy to stop production when only 90 were shipped last year. Currently, the USS Zumwalt, the first ship of the Zumwalt class, still does not have ammunition for the AGS guns.

AGS gun assembly during the construction of the USS Zumwalt. Photo: US Navy

The advanced stealth design allows the Zumwalt destroyer to get closer to its target than a conventional warship, but it must operate alone to avoid being exposed by surrounding ships. However, the lack of long-range weapons makes the Zumwalt class vulnerable when operating alone.

As of late 2017, the USS Zumwalt remains a lost ship in the US Navy, unassigned to any specific unit, lacking weapons, and without a clear mission. A reassignment to anti-ship might change that, but it’s unclear what improvements it will bring.

One effective solution is to remove the AGS and replace it with 100 Mk. 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) tubes. Each tube can hold a Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) or Joint Strike Missile (JSM), making the Zumwalt class a powerful ship killer.

The Zumwalt-class's advanced communications systems and networking capabilities allow it to receive targeting data from assets such as satellites, MQ-4 unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, P-8A patrol aircraft, F/A-18E/F fighters, surface ships and submarines.

The US Navy has neglected the anti-ship mission for nearly 20 years, leaving many destroyers without anti-ship missiles. Turning the Zumwalt-class destroyers into ship killers shows that the force is focusing on Cold War missions, military expert Kyle Mizokami said.

According to VNE