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USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000)
Encyclopedia
USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) is to be the lead ship
of the Zumwalt class of guided missile destroyers and the first ship to be named for Admiral Elmo Zumwalt.
Elmo Russell Zumwalt, Jr.
(29 November 1920 – 2 January 2000) was an American naval officer and the youngest man to serve as Chief of Naval Operations
. As an admiral
and later the 19th Chief of Naval Operations, Zumwalt played a major role in U.S. military history, especially during the Vietnam War
. A highly-decorated war veteran, Admiral Zumwalt reformed Naval personnel policies in an effort to improve enlisted life and ease racial tensions. After he retired from a 32-year Navy career, he launched an unsuccessful campaign for the United States Senate
.
The hull classification symbol for the USS Zumwalt will be DDG-1000. In so doing, the U.S. Navy will eschew the guided missile destroyer sequence that goes up to DDG-112 (the last of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers
), and continue in the previous "gun destroyer" sequence left off with the last of the Spruance-class
, USS Hayler (DD-997)
.
program; to save it, the acquisition program was renamed as DD(X) and heavily reworked. The initial funding allocation for DDG-1000 was included in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2007.
A contract worth $1.4bn was awarded to General Dynamics
on 14 February 2008, for the construction of USS Zumwalt at Bath Iron Works
in Bath, Maine
.
Full rate production officially began on February 11, 2009.
As of July 2008, the construction timetable was as follows :
top acquisition official, stated that the per ship price for the Zumwalt destroyers had reached $5.964 billion, 81 percent over the Navy's original estimate used in proposing the program. If true, that means that the program has breached the Nunn–McCurdy Amendment
, requiring the Navy to recertify and rejustify the program to United States Congress
.
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
of the Zumwalt class of guided missile destroyers and the first ship to be named for Admiral Elmo Zumwalt.
Name and hull number
Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr.
Elmo Russell Zumwalt, Jr. was an American naval officer and the youngest man to serve as Chief of Naval Operations. As an admiral and later the 19th Chief of Naval Operations, Zumwalt played a major role in U.S. military history, especially during the Vietnam War. A highly-decorated war veteran,...
(29 November 1920 – 2 January 2000) was an American naval officer and the youngest man to serve as Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
. As an admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
and later the 19th Chief of Naval Operations, Zumwalt played a major role in U.S. military history, especially during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. A highly-decorated war veteran, Admiral Zumwalt reformed Naval personnel policies in an effort to improve enlisted life and ease racial tensions. After he retired from a 32-year Navy career, he launched an unsuccessful campaign for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
The hull classification symbol for the USS Zumwalt will be DDG-1000. In so doing, the U.S. Navy will eschew the guided missile destroyer sequence that goes up to DDG-112 (the last of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers
Arleigh Burke class destroyer
The Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers is the United States Navy's first class of destroyer built around the Aegis combat system and the SPY-1D multi-function phased array radar. The class is named for Admiral Arleigh "31-Knot" Burke, the most famous American destroyer officer of...
), and continue in the previous "gun destroyer" sequence left off with the last of the Spruance-class
Spruance class destroyer
The Spruance-class destroyer was developed by the United States to replace a large number of World War II-built Allen M. Sumner- and Gearing-class destroyers, and was the primary destroyer built for the U.S. Navy during the 1970s....
, USS Hayler (DD-997)
USS Hayler (DD-997)
USS Hayler , the last Spruance-class destroyer, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Vice Admiral Robert W. Hayler .-History:...
.
History
Many of the ship's features were originally developed under the DD21 program ("21st Century Destroyer"). In 2001, Congress cut the DD-21 program by half as part of the SC21SC21 (United States)
SC-21 was a program started in 1994 to design land attack ships for the United States Navy. A wide variety of designs were examined, including an arsenal ship with 500 cruise missiles, but eventually a "tumblehome" design of around 16,000 tons with two long-range guns and 128 missile tubes...
program; to save it, the acquisition program was renamed as DD(X) and heavily reworked. The initial funding allocation for DDG-1000 was included in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2007.
A contract worth $1.4bn was awarded to General Dynamics
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
on 14 February 2008, for the construction of USS Zumwalt at Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
in Bath, Maine
Bath, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its...
.
Full rate production officially began on February 11, 2009.
As of July 2008, the construction timetable was as follows :
- April 2013: DDG-1000 initial delivery
- March 2015: initial operating capability
Cost issues
A January 26, 2009 memo from John Young, the Defense Department'sUnited States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
top acquisition official, stated that the per ship price for the Zumwalt destroyers had reached $5.964 billion, 81 percent over the Navy's original estimate used in proposing the program. If true, that means that the program has breached the Nunn–McCurdy Amendment
Nunn–McCurdy Amendment
The Nunn–McCurdy Amendment or Nunn–McCurdy Provision, introduced by Senator Sam Nunn and Congressman Dave McCurdy in the United States 1982 Defense Authorization Act and made permanent in 1983, is designed to curtail cost growth in American weapons procurement programs.It requires cost growth of...
, requiring the Navy to recertify and rejustify the program to United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
.
External links
- DDG 1000 Zumwalt Class Destroyer Official Northrop GrummanNorthrop GrummanNorthrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...
website - DDG-1000 Zumwalt / DD(X) Multi-Mission Surface Combatant GlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.org, launched in 2000, is a public policy organization focusing on the fields of defense, space exploration, intelligence, weapons of mass destruction and homeland security...
site covering the Zumwalt class