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This image is so unreal that it feels like a sci-fi illustration more than a photo. It looks like part of a spaceship—perhaps some structure from an Imperial Star Destroyer—instead of the 1,000-ton deckhouse of the United States’ new destroyer USS Zumwalt.
The fact is that the futuristic USS Zumwalt will actually look more like a spacecraft than a traditional destroyer (see the rendering below). First of a new class of ships for the US Navy, the 600-foot-long (182.9 meters) guided missile destroyer is being built in modules at Bath Iron Works’ Ultra Hall, in Bath, Maine.
It’s the last part of a puzzle that started in 2011. Back in April 2012, the second of the modules rolled out of the Ultra Hall, a 4,500-ton block which was the largest ship module ever moved at their factory. As they manufactured new modules, workers were assembling the others at the dry dock.
The image shows the deckhouse being craned onto the deck. They are now integrating it with the ship’s hull, connecting all those pipes and tubes.
According to the company, everything is moving as expected, with the launch and christening of the new ship planned for this year. [US Navy Flickr]
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Strange image with the ship firing the missiles. Surely in this modern age enemy ships will never actually get that close? I thought Pearl Harbour proved that once and for all.
Even if your average battle group with a carrier at the center needs some surface to surface close support just in case, isn’t it more likely that such a ship would be firing at something not visible from the ship?
I know, I’m reading far too much into what is a promotional image =D
If you zoom in on the picture you can see that the missiles are actually heading towards an island, not an enemy ship.
Why would you fire missile at an island, as opposed to artillery?
You’ve never heard of a cruise missile then? Submarine or surface ship to land.
I thought those are nukes? Can’t say I am familiar with this sort of stuff.
Its not a destroyer its a missile ship.
I think its classed as a frigate akin to our Type 45 Frigate which Performs a variety of roles from missile defence, to AA, Long range anti-ship/anti submarine and Surface to surface roles.
Yeah its the same class as our Type 45, the benefit of a missile ship is that you just change the missiles they are carrying and they can do different jobs, fit them with aster missiles and they can shoot down other missiles or ICBMs, fit them with cruise and they can hit land and other ships.
The Zumwalt class are actually meant to be shore and inland support Destroyers. Its main role is providing fire support from the two 155mm cannon mounted on the front. That’s also the main reason for the very stealthy shape as it will have to operate closer to shore defences. The missiles it will carry are also short range anti missile sea sparrows rather than the longer range fleet defence SM3 missiles most other US ships carry. The plan is that they will carry tomahawks as well.
Now that I’ve blathered all that out I can say that they are also the most expensive white elephant the US navy has ever built. So expensive they will now only build a maximum of seven rather than the 32 they wanted and probably too expensive to put into harms way.
The general view is that stealth or not even if the US did let these things get close enough to shore to provided gun fire support they will get shot to pieces by a thousand cheap anti ship missiles.
Sweet looking ship but ultimately useless
Actually, only 3 will be built.