Did you know the largest destroyer ever built for US Navy is headed to sea trials? How do you think she will fare in the North Atlantic?

2015-12-08T15:05:07-05:00

BATH, Maine — The largest destroyer ever built for the Navy headed out to sea for the first time Monday, departing from shipbuilder Bath Iron Works and carefully navigating the winding Kennebec River before reaching the open ocean where the ship will undergo sea trials.

More than 200 shipbuilders, sailors and residents gathered to watch as the 600-foot, 15,000-ton destroyer Zumwalt glided past Fort Popham, accompanied by tugboats.

Kelley Campana, a Bath Iron Works employee, said she had goose bumps and tears in her eyes.

"This is pretty exciting. It's a great day to be a shipbuilder and to be an American," she said. "It's the first in its class. There's never been anything like it. It looks like the future."

Larry Harris, a retired Raytheon employee who worked on the ship, watched it depart from Bath.

"It's as cool as can be. It's nice to see it underway," he said. "Hopefully, it will perform as advertised."

Bath Iron Works will be testing the ship's performance and making tweaks this winter. The goal is to deliver it to the Navy sometime next year.

"We are absolutely fired up to see Zumwalt get underway. For the crew and all those involved in designing, building and readying this fantastic ship, this is a huge milestone," the ship's skipper, Navy Capt. James Kirk, said before the ship departed.

The ship has electric propulsion, new radar and sonar, powerful missiles and guns, and a stealthy design to reduce its radar signature. Advanced automation will allow the warship to operate with a much smaller crew size than current destroyers.

All of that innovation has led to construction delays and a growing price tag. The Zumwalt, the first of three ships in the class, will cost at least $4.4 billion.

The ship looks like nothing ever built at Bath Iron Works.

The inverse bow juts forward to slice through the waves. Sharp angles deflect enemy radar signals. Radar and antennas are hidden in a composite deckhouse.

The builder sea trials will answer any questions of seaworthiness for a ship that utilizes a type of hull associated with pre-dreadnought battleships from a century ago.

Critics say the "tumblehome" hull's sloping shape makes it less stable than conventional hulls, but it contributes to the ship's stealth and the Navy is confident in the design.

Eric Wertheim, author and editor of the U.S. Naval Institute's "Guide to Combat Fleets of the World," said there's no question the integration of so many new systems from the electric drive to the tumblehome hull carries some level of risk.

Operational concerns, growing costs and fleet makeup led the Navy to truncate the 32-ship program to three ships, he said. With only three ships, the class of destroyers could become something of a technology demonstration project, he said.

http://www.navytimes.com/story/military/2015/12/07/largest-destroyer-built-navy-headed-sea-testing/76919816/

Largest destroyer built for Navy headed to sea for testing

More than 200 shipbuilders, sailors and residents gathered to watch as the 600-foot, 15,000-ton destroyer Zumwalt glided past Fort Popham, accompanied by tugboats.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Dec 8 at 2015 3:22 PM

2015-12-08T15:22:20-05:00

Yes MSgt Curtis Ellis I just saw an article about the Zumwalt . Thanks for sharing the background about the initial sea trials of this vessel.
It is interesting that this particular large vessel is still called a destroyer.
I expect that the vessel will perform well in the North Atlantic if for no other reason than the size of this vessel.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Dec 8 at 2015 3:49 PM

2015-12-08T15:49:11-05:00

MSgt Curtis Ellis Yeah, I have no idea why they class this as a Destroyer. It's clearly Cruiser-sized. As for how she'll fare? There's been a lot of hoo-ha over nothing. She'll be fine. The tumblehome hull only fell out of style in an era of non-automation. Computers are going to drive that ship, just like they do the B-2 and the F-117.

Response by LTC Bink Romanick made Dec 8 at 2015 3:52 PM

2015-12-08T15:52:50-05:00

MSgt Curtis Ellis The Bath Iron Works is some place. As for the Zumwalt the sharp bow. Will cut those Atlantic waves well and the propulsion plant will power it thru those winter N. Atlantic seas

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Dec 8 at 2015 4:32 PM

2015-12-08T16:32:13-05:00

I had read the hull is of a questionable design.

Response by PO2 Steven Erickson made Dec 8 at 2015 4:47 PM

2015-12-08T16:47:15-05:00

Meh... Just another "target" joins the fleet. lol

The bigger they are, the easier they are to spot through the attack 'scope...

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 8 at 2015 5:40 PM

2015-12-08T17:40:41-05:00

That will certainly be a large area of ocean water that can produce all sorts of sea conditions. All I have to say is...WHERE THE HELL DO I REENLIST!?!?! Man, oh, man, what a boat!!!

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Dec 8 at 2015 8:42 PM

2015-12-08T20:42:14-05:00

The reports say she's unstable and not seaworthy. We'll see...

Response by PO1 Glenn Boucher made Dec 9 at 2015 1:44 PM

2015-12-09T13:44:33-05:00

That is one ugly butt ship, but I do hope that its been built correctly and won't spend the next few years in and out of the ship yards fixing things to bring them up to original specs.
Just curious how that will handle in severely rough seas.

Response by PO1 Mike Edgecomb made Dec 13 at 2015 4:14 PM

2015-12-13T16:14:07-05:00

http://bangordailynews.com/2015/12/12/news/state/uss-zumwalt-assists-with-medical-call/

USS Zumwalt assists with medical call

The Zumwalt was in the area and offered assistance.

Response by SR Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 19 at 2015 2:14 PM

2015-12-19T14:14:38-05:00

Oh ! This ship looks like a giant Pyramid eye radar ship !

Response by PO3 John Wagner made Aug 13 at 2018 3:17 AM

2018-08-13T03:17:56-04:00

Don't tell me the captains middle name is Tiberius.

Response by CMDCM Steve Ketchum made Oct 31 at 2019 1:25 PM

2019-10-31T13:25:50-04:00

I'm always proud of the men and women it takes to bring a vessel from the drawing board to delivery, it's an amazing feat. In Zumwalt’s case though it has an Advanced Gun System that doesn't meet the intended 115 - 120-mile range, reaching only 60 - 70 miles. Its rocket-boosted LRLAP GPS-guided shells cost $800,000 dollars each—nearly as expensive as more precise, longer-range and harder-hitting cruise missiles. So the Navy canceled the purchase of 6-inch munitions, leaving the Zumwalt with two huge guns it can’t fire. Now instead of backfitting a working 5-inch to the ship, they have made it and two other vessel classes part of a technology battle group that looks good but can't do much.