U.S. Navy’s New Zumwalt Destroyer in Portland Harbor

gCaptain ^ | January 6, 2016

[artichokegrower]

Video from Maine Imaging Photography showing the U.S. Navy’s Zumwalt (DDG-1000) entering Portland Harbor following sea trials in December. The Zumwalt is the first of three planned Zumwalt-class stealth destroyers being built for the Navy by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Maine.

[artichokegrower]

Ahoy the Merrimack this is the Monitor

[artichokegrower]

Link to video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KAWbwttAoI

[AppyPappy]

Towed there?

[Tupelo]

In my not so humble opinion, the destroyer has for a century been the best looking surface ship in the fleet. Looks like the powers that be have fixed that.

[central_va]

Butt ugly.

I guess the engineers of the CSN were way ahead of their time.

[TexasGunLover]

Towed there?

It broke down on the first shake down cruise.

[knarf]

Who are all those civilians on deck .... perhaps not commissioned yet ?

[ThunderSleeps]

Agree. The FFG/DDG ships with classic high & sharp bows, low fantails. Good looking ships. The DDG 1000??? Well, it certainly is ah “distinctive” looking. Yeah, let’s go with that...

[Fai Mao]

Ugly is is OK if you have an electromagnetic rail gun and those should be ready in 5 to 10 years. The ship was designed around the weapon system.

Rail Gun

[ClearCase_guy]

This is not the ship that broke down. You’re thinking of the LCS. The Zumwalt has done well so far.

[Jeff Head]

Zumwalt is a game changer...its just too bas they are only building three of them. The libs abd detractors like to quote a $4 billion cost.

But two things.

1) When you take what was going to be a 28 ship order and end up cutting it to three, and build them anyway, then the per price cost goes way up. That's not the manufacturer's issue, and it is not the Navy's...it is the politicians and their poliical appointees.

2) The R&D for such aa vessel, with all of its new, advanced technologies, is spread out over the boats being purchased by the manufacturer. They are in business to make a profit. When you reduce numbers...you increase costs.

Finally, we need these vessels, With their advanced guns system, the peripheral vertical launch cells, their all electric drive, their new radar, and their steaklth, they will introduce critical technologies to keep the US Navy ahead of any other force on earth.

Anyhow, here's my site about the Zumwalts:

US Navy Zumwalt Class DDG

...and here's a photo album about the ships with a LOT of pics from her recent sea trials:

Flickr Zumwalt DDG Album by Jeff Head

[2001convSVT]

Freaking awesome!, too bad we will only have three. Ambushing the enemy is the name of the game in naval warfare.

[wbarmy]

The current rail-gun ideas are products of joint US, Israeli and Australian research projects done in the Australian outback.

The things this technology will do will make anything big a target. Done properly, this could be an armor killer also.

I have always felt that all military technology fluctuated between infantry and cavalry. Right now, cavalry (tank) has the upper hand, but with semi portable rail guns, tanks will be worse than the Maginot Line.

[Vinnie]

I haven’t seen a video of the Zumwalt at high speed but the ones I’ve seen it doesn’t throw much of a bow wave. Good.
On the other hand it looks like it would want to porpoise with lots of blue water over the deck in a sea.

[wbill]

You’re right, but is it better to be invisible than pretty?

[artichokegrower]

Been there done that

[sternup]

three tugs to dock that little pisspot?...in what looks to be fairly calm winds.....guvmint op for sure

[Jeff Head]

They will also serve very capable as anti-missile, and anti-aircraft weapons out to the horizon. Carrying munitions that separates on proximity as it closes with the target, it will dispense shrapnel at hype velocity, which when combined with the targets velocity will absolutely destroy it.

This technology already exists and can be loaded as munitions on the rail gun.

[Jeff Head]

The hull form is not new...and even pre-dates the dreadnaughts.

But the stealth forming and the newer ballasting and construction technologies have improved it dramatically.

In addition, what is inside the hull...the new all electric power system, the AGS, the Rail Guns, the PVLS, the new Radar, etc., will all make this vessel the preeminent surface combatant in the 21st century.

We should build at least 12 of them...and would be better at 24.

A new administration with a strong supportive congress can make it happen.

That same hull form should be used for the CGX to replace the Tico cruisers.

[Lou L]

There seems to be very little in the way of deck hardware; e.g., bollards, chocks, capstans, handrails, etc. Presumably, these are either retractable or moveable. It also seems to accommodate very little in the way of topside manning by watchstanders, etc. I’d miss not being able to hang out on the fantail with a cup of coffee at the end of the day...