Zumwalt Destroyer – US Navy DDG-1000 Near Completion
The 1,000-ton deckhouse of the future destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) is craned toward the deck of the ship to be integrated with the ship’s hull at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works. The ship launch and christening are planned in 2013. Timelapse video courtesy of General Dynamics Bath Iron Works.
Features unique to DDG 1000 Zumwalt Destroyer:
– 80 peripheral Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells, 2 155mm Advanced Gun System (AGS), and 2 57mm Close In Gun System (CIGS).
– A stern boat ramp for 2 7m Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs), designed with room for two 11m RHIBs.
– Aviation capacity for 2 MH-60R or one MH-60R and 3 VT Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
– It will be powered by an Integrated Power System (IPS) with an Integrated Fight Through Power (IFTP). This is created by an Advanced Induction Motor (AIM).
– A Composite superstructure with integrated apertures and low signature profile.
– Advanced sensors including a SPY-3 Multi-Function Radar.
– A wave-piercing “Tumblehome” hull form.
DDG 1000 is the first U.S. Navy surface combatant to employ an innovative and highly survivable Integrated Power System (IPS). Key design features that make the DDG 1000 IPS architecture unique include the ability to provide power to propulsion, ship’s service, and combat system loads from the same gas turbine prime movers. DDG 1000’s power allocation flexibility allows for potentially significant energy savings and is well-suited to enable future high energy weapons and sensors.
The wave-piercing Tumblehome ship design has provided a wide array of advancements. The composite superstructure significantly reduces cross section and acoustic output making the ship more transparent to enemies at sea. The design also allows for optimal manning with a standard crew size of 148 sailors thereby decreasing lifecycle operations and support costs.
Zumwalt Destroyer will employ active and passive sensors and a Multi-Function Radar (MFR) capable of conducting area air surveillance, including over-land, throughout the extremely difficult and cluttered sea-land interface.
Each ship features a battery of 2 Advanced Gun Systems (AGS) firing Long-Range Land Attack Projectiles (LRLAP) that reach up to 63 nautical miles (116.7km), providing a 3-fold range improvement in naval surface fires coverage.
General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW) is responsible for design, construction, integration, testing and delivery of the DDG 1000 class. Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) is responsible for the fabrication of the deckhouse, helo hangar and Peripheral Vertical Launch System. Raytheon is responsible for software development and integration with BAE providing the AGS and LRLAP.
PEO Ships and its industry partners worked diligently to mature the ship’s design and ready industrial facilities to ensure this advanced surface combatant is built on cost and on schedule. At 85% complete, the DDG 1000 design was more mature at start of fabrication than any lead surface combatant in history.
The Navy intends to procure 3 Zumwalt-Class Destroyers which are named in honor of former Chief of Naval Operations, Elmo R. “Bud” Zumwalt Jr.
Construction on DDG 1000 (ZUMWALT) commenced in February 2009 and the Keel Laying took place on November 17, 2011. Ship delivery is expected in July 2014.
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