NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — On Tuesday the Navy provided status updates for the Zumwalt-class (DDG-1000) destroyers, including the fabrication status of the last ship set to deliver late next year.
The last vessel, the future USS
Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002), is currently under construction at General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works (BIW) [GD] shipyard in Bath, Maine.
Capt. Kevin Smith, DDG-1000 program manager for PMS 500, said the shipbuilder finished about 85 percent of fabrication so far during a briefing here at the Navy League’s annual Sea Air Space Expo.
DDG-1002 was launched into the water in December and christened in late April. The first stage hull, mechanical and electrical (HM&E) delivery is set for 2020 (Defense Daily, Dec. 10, 2018).
The Zumwalt-class ships have a two-stage delivery, with HM&E completed in Bath followed by commissioning. In the second stage the ship starts combat system activation, testing, and trials once it arrives at its homeport in San Diego.
Smith said the first vessel, USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), is currently undergoing this combat system activation and testing for weapons, sensors, and communications. Concurrently, the Navy is conducting post-delivery test and trials on the ship.
During this period the Navy sent DDG-1000 on an operational scenario engagement and tactical training exercise from March to April where it visited Victoria, British Columbia in Canada, Ketchikan, Alaska, and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
The second ship, the future USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001), started its combat availability at BAE Systems in San Diego in early April. Its first stage hull, mechanical and electrical (HM&E) delivery was in April 2018 and it left its General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW) [GD] shipyard in November 2018.
DDG-1001 arrived in San Diego last December and was commissioned in January in Coronado, Calif.
Relatedly, Smith said the Navy’s self defense test ship (SDTS) successfully conducted the first live missile firing using the Zumwalt’s combat system on April 26.
Smith argued the program has an “exciting” year ahead, including final delivery of DDG-1000, completing the combat availability of DDG-1001, continuing construction and testing of DDG-1002, completing the SDTS program, and starting integration of surface strike upgrades.
Notably, the program is looking at using a maritime strike version of the Tomahawk missile. Smith said they are also looking at arming the ships with the Raytheon [RTN] Standard Missile-6 Block IA.