New US Navy Destroyer Zumwalt Christened in Maine

abc | April 12, 2014 | ALANNA DURKIN

[BenLurkin]

The U.S. Navy on Saturday christened the first ship of its newest class of destroyers, a more than $3 billion, 610-foot-long warship sporting advanced technology and a stealthy shape designed to minimize its visibility on enemy radar and reduce the size of its crew.

...

Among the 15,000-ton warship's cutting-edge features are a composite deckhouse with hidden radar and sensors and an angular shape that officials say will allow it to be confused for a small fishing boat on radars. It also sports wave-piercing hull designed to reduce the ship's wake. It's the first U.S. ship to use electric propulsion and produces enough power to one day support the futuristic electromagnetic rail gun, which will be tested at sea in 2016.

[Rudder]

It's the first U.S. ship to use electric propulsion

General Dynamics electric boat was established in 1899 and commissioned the submarine, Holland, in 1900, and supplied the USN with diesel-electric submarines in WWII.

And for ships, let us not forget Norway

[ReaganÜberAlles]

He let me grow a beard and wear sideburns!! :)

[ReaganÜberAlles]

LOL

[skinkinthegrass]

!

[Fred Hayek]

Some WWI era battleships had electric propulsion, as well as the USS Saratoga and USS Lexington carriers.

[Vermont Lt]

I know almost nothing about Navy ships. But I get a feeling of being in the dark all of the time on this thing. There is almost no deck and few windows. What a depressing feeling to be out at sea, all cooped up in that thing.

[tanknetter]

What happened to the first 999 DDGs

The numbering convention of us Destroyers got messed up with the "new" DDG (guided missile destroyer) and DLG (guided missile destroyer leader) designations.

This was further compounded when the four "Ayatollah-class" Destroyers (built for the Shah's Iran) were impounded by the US, turned over to the USN and became the "Kidd" class. They were brought into USN service as DDGs, but stayed in the "DD" numbering convention of their Spruance-class half-sisters.

After the Kidd class ships (DDGs -993 to -996) the final ship in the "DD" sequence was the USS Hayler (DD-997). -997 and -998 were actually set aside for two additional "Ayatollah" class destroyers that were never built (after the Shah fell), -997 was reclaimed for the Hayler.

The Zumwalt started life as the DDX program, which was for a destroyer designed mainly for operations against shore-based targets. There was a CGX cousin that was supposed to be multi-mission, but it was cancelled. Since it was not multi-mission (which is what the "DDG" designation really evolved into), it was put into the "traditional" series while the Burkes continued the DDG one.

I figure someone in the USN just liked starting the sequence on a nice round number, hence the jump from DD-997 to DD-1000, skipping -998 and -999.

[X Fretensis]

In addition to Sara & Lex, Langley, New Mexico, Tennessee, California, Colorado, Maryland, and West Virginia were turbo electric propulsion

[Tallguy]

Electric drives have been around the USN for a very long time.

http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/tech-038.htm

[napscoordinator]

Z-Grams....Ugh! I remember those liberal things.

[napscoordinator]

Isn’t there a sub named the U.S.S Jimmy Carter?

Yes but at least he graduated from the Naval Academy. What did Harvey Milk do for the Navy? Please don’t answer...I doubt I want to know.

[dfwgator]

What did Harvey Milk do for the Navy?

Worked with a lot of sea men?

[Lower Deck]

At 610 feet long and 15,000 tons, it’s length and displacement are almost identical to that of the USS Biloxi (CL-80)

I'll make two predicitions right now. Because of the size the Navy will re-designate them guided missile cruisers and create three new O-6 billets. And with a crew of fewer than 150 the Navy will find they have the same problem with these as with the LCS class; too much maintenance and too few bodies to do it.

[Lower Deck]

I spoke too soon. The prospective CO is indeed a full captain and his name is, I kid you not, Captain James Kirk

[BenLurkin]

And now he’s a corpse man.

[TheArizona]

The naming pattern was mentioned, carriers bare the names of Presidents, however the U.S.S Jimmy Carter is a sub. It wasn’t necessarily a comment on the worthiness of Carter. As a former President, I suppose the draft dodger Bill “Bubba Cigar Boy Clinton” will one day have his name draped across a vessel, probably a sub for obvious reasons.

[redlegplanner]

To pick a few nits:

The Army mounts howitzers and mortars currently. The Navy mounts guns.

Current Navy guns are automated and fire ~ 16-20 Rounds / minute. The Army howitzers max out at ~1 per minute.

The Zumwalt will mount 2 155mm (6 inch) guns. Rate of fire 10 rounds per minute, Effective firing range ~100 miles miles with Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP)

[Rockpile]

Good info. Did not know that the Zs were to mount 155 s.

I saw the last of the 8 inch cruisers mothballed at the Philadelphia Naval Yard. They had fixed ammo semi- auto guns IIRC and could shoot pretty fast theoretically.

Saw Iowa and Wisconsin there also.