On May 2nd, the U.S. Navy reported that it had successfully tested the new hypersonic missile launch system that will equip the modernized USS Zumwalt destroyer, with this test being carried out at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in the state of Florida. According to official channels, the activity was framed within the Strategic Systems Programs and marked a milestone, as it was the first time that the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) capability was used through the “cold gas” launch approach developed by the force.
Seeking to explain what this new technology is about, Vice Admiral Johnny R. Wolfe Jr., who currently serves as director of the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs, stated: “The cold gas approach allows the Navy to eject the missile from the platform and reach a safe distance from the ship before the first stage ignition. This technical achievement brings SSP one step closer to fulfilling our role of providing a safe and reliable hypersonic capability to our Navy.”
This represents an important change in relation to the current Mk.41 Vertical Launch Systems (VLS), which use an approach in which the missile ignites its engine inside the very cell from which it is fired; the system is present on more than 80 ships of the institution. It is also worth mentioning that this same method is used in the launch systems employed for the deployment of the Trident II D5 ballistic missiles, a pillar of the U.S. Navy’s submarine-based nuclear deterrence.
On the other hand, the institution reported that the data obtained in these successful tests will also be used for the development of the common hypersonic missile (AUR), in whose design the U.S. Army also participates through its Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office. In this regard, it is useful to recall that during 2024, both forces managed to carry out two comprehensive flight tests of said system on the way to its incorporation. Particularly, in the case of the U.S. Navy, it is expected that it can be used both from Zumwalt-class destroyers and Virginia-class submarines; both of which have stealth characteristics.
Finally, reviewing what the modernization process of the aforementioned USS Zumwalt consists of, we can affirm that the integration of the capability to use hypersonic missiles in place of its failed 155mm guns is a key part of it, although not the only one. As we reported in August 2023, the U.S. Navy’s intention included improving the Surface Electronic Warfare systems, updating the SQQ-89 anti-submarine warfare combat system, and having renewed elements that facilitate data exchange between the radar and the ship’s fire control system; in relation to the latter, there was talk of the intention to replace the SPY-3 radars with the more modern SPY-6 (v)3.
*Images used for illustrative purposes only.
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