The Future of Naval Combat: Hypersonic Missiles on Zumwalt Class Destroyers

In the vast, unforgiving sea where the game of power is played with steely resolve, the United States Navy is gearing up to change the rules entirely.

The USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), a beast of a guided-missile destroyer, is on the brink of being armed with a hypersonic missile system so advanced it blurs the line between science fiction and brutal maritime reality.

The Dawn of a New Era: Preparing for Hypersonic Might

Lockheed Martin, the defense giant, has thrown down the gauntlet with its promise of flight tests for this ship-based launcher of high-speed destruction by 2024.

The USS Zumwalt, with its silhouette that whispers death and technology that screams the future, is undergoing a transformation at HII’s shipyard in Mississippi that’ll make her the envy of friend and foe alike.

Hypersonic Upgrade 🚀

📍 PASCAGOULA, Miss. (Aug 19, 2023) USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) arrives at Ingalls Shipbuilding to begin a two-year process to install hypersonic missile tubes, also known as the Conventional Prompt Strike weapon system.

📷: Photo courtesy of HII pic.twitter.com/wp1Ss7upKr

— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) August 28, 2023

The Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic missile system isn’t just an upgrade; it’s a revolution.

Commander Arlo Abrahamson, with a voice steady as the ship he serves, tells us that these enhancements are about keeping the Zumwalt a lethal predator of the seas.

“The upgrades will ensure Zumwalt remains one of the most technologically advanced and lethal ships in the U.S. Navy,” Commander Abrahamson told Navy Times in a statement last August.

Navigating Challenges on the Path to Supremacy

But let’s not kid ourselves – the road to hypersonic supremacy is riddled with pitfalls.

The U.S. Army, in its dance with the Navy over this tech, hit a snag.

The Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB), the heart of this rapid beast, stumbled before its October launch.

Details are as murky as the ocean depths, but Army Acquisition Chief Doug Bush assures us the mission is far from over.

“I can’t go into details, but it was [a] before-launch problem [that] was detected,” Bush told reporters in early November.

“It definitely will make it very difficult to achieve our end-of-the-year goal [of fielding the weapon] … but at the same time, the capability is still absolutely needed and the Army is still fully committed to it,” he added. “I think we’ll figure it out.”

The setback is a mere detour on the path to unmatched firepower.

The Race for Hypersonic Dominance

Hypersonic weapons are the new kings of the battlefield, soaring beyond Mach 5 with the agility of a predator.

The C-HGB, with its warhead and guidance system, is at the forefront of this arms race, a race that’s heating up with China and Russia breathing down America’s neck.

Despite the hiccup, the Army is not resting on its laurels.

They’ve been busy deploying the Mid-Range Capability, a deadly Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles duo.

Bush, with the wisdom of a war sage, tells us that having either system ready is like holding a royal flush in the high-stakes poker game of modern warfare, particularly in the tense Pacific theater.

A New Chapter in Naval Warfare

The new year is finally here, with the USS Zumwalt’s date drawing near.

The flight tests will be more than trials; they’ll message the world that the U.S. Navy isn’t just playing the game –it’s looking to end it.

In the grand narrative of naval warfare, the chapter on the hypersonic missile system aboard the USS Zumwalt promises to redefine the nature of maritime dominance.

It’s not just about keeping up; it’s about setting a pace that leaves adversaries gasping in the wake.

This isn’t just the future of the Navy; it’s the future of American might and assurance in a world that’s anything but certain.