Last Friday, December 6, the U.S. company HII announced that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division had successfully refloated the U.S. Navy’s USS Zumwalt hypersonic missile destroyer, which is currently undergoing a modernization process. This milestone represents significant progress for the program, with the next step being the start of certification trials for the lead ship of its class, raising expectations for its return to active service.
Regarding the achievement, Chris Kastner, HII’s President and CEO, stated: “In collaboration with the Navy, we remain steadfast in our commitment to completing this complex work that adds significant hypersonic capability to Zumwalt (…) We are proud to support the integration of the Conventional Prompt Strike system for the Navy.”
It is worth recalling that the modernization process undertaken by the U.S. Navy for this advanced destroyer began in August 2023, when the vessel arrived at the Pascagoula shipyard. Among the various upgrades it underwent, the installation of the new Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) weapons system stands out. At the same time, the problematic twin 155 mm advanced gun systems originally installed were replaced with new missile tubes.
Finally, it should be noted that the U.S. Navy recently announced plans to conduct tests of its new CPS system in 2027, considering a one-fiscal-year delay in the originally stipulated timeline. The project, as a whole, not only involves HII in the installation of the CPS on the USS Zumwalt but also Lockheed Martin, responsible for assembling its projectiles, Northrop Grumman, working on propulsion systems, and Dynetics, tasked with designing hypersonic glide vehicles. If successful, it is expected that the U.S. Navy will proceed to integrate these launchers on its Virginia-class submarines once deliveries of Block V units are completed.
Image credits: HII
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