The Zumwalt destroyer was called a costly mistake because of the huge cost of its production and the missiles it was supposed to produce. However, the US Navy has decided to use such ships as a platform for hypersonic weapons, which could be a real breakthrough, the Associated Press reports.
One of the three Zumwalts is at a shipyard in Mississippi. Workers have installed missile tubes on it, replacing the twin turrets from the gun system, which was never used because of its high cost. In the future, the ship will be able to fire hypersonic missiles, which will significantly increase its effectiveness.
“It was a costly mistake. But the Navy could have pulled victory out of the jaws of defeat and gotten some benefit from it by converting the ships into a hypersonic platform,” Hudson Institute military analyst Brian Clark told reporters.
The agency noted that over the past 20 years, the United States has developed several types of hypersonic weapons. In addition, Russia and China have recently begun to more actively conduct tests of this type of weapon, which has put pressure on the Americans.
A feature of hypersonic weapons is that the projectile develops a speed of more than Mach 5 (about 6,125 km/h). Its additional maneuverability makes it even more difficult to shoot down, the journalists emphasized.
The United States has developed the “Conventional Prompt Strike” program, which will be used, in particular, for the Zumwalt. This is a ballistic missile capable of launching a hypersonic glide vehicle. It is capable of flying at speeds seven to eight times faster than the speed of sound before hitting its target, the agency added.
It is noted that all three Zumwalts will be equipped with four missile tubes, each of which will contain three missiles. This should help make the ship worth $ 7.5 billion more effective.
Experts told reporters that despite criticism of the Zumwalt, it is one of the most advanced surface warships in the world. Among its features: an electric drive, a clumsy shape to reduce radar visibility, an unconventional breakwater hull and an automated fire control system.
The US Navy shared that testing of the hypersonic system on board the Zumwalt is planned to be carried out in 2027 or 2028. According to the Congressional Budget Office, buying 300 weapons and maintaining them over 20 years would cost about $18 billion.
“This particular missile costs more than a dozen tanks. All it's going to give you is a precise non-nuclear explosion somewhere far away. Is it worth the money?? The answer is that in most cases the missile costs much more than any target you can destroy with it,” says Lauren Thompson, a military analyst in Washington.
Retired US Navy Rear Admiral Ray Spicer disagrees. According to him, the States should not give in to its enemies.
“They enable Navy ships to strike the enemy from a distance of thousands of kilometers, beyond the reach of most enemy weapons. There is no effective defense against them,” he said.