The Zumwalt-class destroyer is a class of three United States Navy guided-missile destroyers designed as multi-mission stealth ships with a focus on land attack. The class was designed with a primary role of naval gunfire support and secondary roles of surface warfare and anti-aircraft warfare. The class design emerged from the DD-21 "land attack destroyer" program as "DD(X)" and was intended to take the role of battleships in meeting a congressional mandate for naval fire support. The ship is designed around its two Advanced Gun Systems (AGS), turrets with 920 round magazines, and unique Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP) ammunition. LRLAP procurement was canceled, rendering the guns unusable, so the Navy re-purposed the ships for surface warfare. Starting in 2023, the Navy will remove the AGS from the ships and replace them with hypersonic missiles.
USS Zumwalt sailing in 2016
Representatives from Naval Sea Systems Command and Bath Iron Works sign a construction contract at the Pentagon, February 2008.
Deckhouse of USS Zumwalt being installed in December 2012
Zumwalt's deckhouse in transit in November 2012
A stealth ship is a ship that employs stealth technology construction techniques in an effort to make it harder to detect by one or more of radar, visual, sonar, and infrared methods.
The Type 45 Royal Navy destroyer. Examples of stealthy ships.
Detail of Forbin, a modern frigate of the French navy. The faceted appearance reduces radar cross-section for stealth.
US Navy Sea Shadow (IX-529) uses both a tumblehome hull and SWATH to reduce its radar return. But fully stealth ship designs are rare.
French frigate Surcouf of the La Fayette class
