USS Zumwalt

A new U.S. Navy ship sailed out of the General Dynamics shipyard at the Bath Iron Works in Maine this week. Barring any problems, this will be the final trial for the Zumwalt before it is turned over to the Navy. The Zumwalt is the first of three ships that are guided missile destroyers unlike any preceding them. At 600 feet it is the longest destroyer the U.S. has built, and it is designed to be a stealth ship, less visible to enemy radar. The ship's radar signature is similar to a small fishing boat. The final cost of the Zumwalt is $3.3 billion.

The ship is quieter due to the 12 electric propulsion motors. There are no visible weapons yet it carries a deadly array of missiles in 80 firing cells below deck as well as two 155mm Advanced Gun Systems which are also retractable to below deck. The Zumwalt can carry one or two helicopters (depending on type) on an aft landing pad.

The stealth capability is possible with nothing to break the sleek lines of the ship. The sleek lines of the Zumwalt above the hull are almost as startling as the tumblehome hull. Designed to slice through waves rather than ride above them the sides of the hull slope inward as they rise above the water line. The bow slopes towards the rear in a style not seen since World War I. While there have been questions about the stability of this type of hull in rough seas, the Navy has done extensive testing by computer and using models in hurricane conditions.

The Zumwalt is named after Admiral Elmo Zumwalt who became the 19th chief of Naval Operations in 1970. If the Zumwalt meets expectations, it could cause new designs for many types of warships for future building.

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He lives in Chaffee, Missouri.