Hypersonic Missiles and Lasers for the Zumwalts.

[Spartan303]

Seems the Zumwalt Destroyers may be getting slated for use as Test beds for new weapon systems. Namely Hypersonic missiles and laser based defenses. Yet nothing on the Railgun for the class yet. I've heard some people speculate the ships would be mobile test beds considering their low number and costs. I'm sure this surprises no one hearing this. Thoughts?

The U.S. Navy could be on the verge of radically rearming its tiny fleet of stealth destroyers. U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday wants to transform the three Zumwalt-class destroyers, once built to attack targets on shore with precision-guided deck guns, into long-range strike platforms equipped with hypersonic weapons and laser guns.

The Navy Wants to Put Lasers on Zumwalt Destroyers

WASHINGTON: While the Navy’s modernization efforts lead the list of concerns Pentagon leadership is looking to tackle, the service’s top admiral is mapping a plan to get hypersonic missiles and lasers on ships as quickly as he can.
Adm. Mike Gilday is focused on getting hypersonic missiles on his Zumwalt destroyers first, using the long-troubled three ship class as a testbed for installing the weapon on other ships across the fleet, he said recently.

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/02...ans-hypersonics-lasers-on-zumwalt-destroyers/

 

[Airedale260]

Seems the Zumwalt Destroyers may be getting slated for use as Test beds for new weapon systems. Namely Hypersonic missiles and laser based defenses. Yet nothing on the Railgun for the class yet. I've heard some people speculate the ships would be mobile test beds considering their low number and costs. I'm sure this surprises no one hearing this. Thoughts?

The Navy Wants to Put Lasers on Zumwalt Destroyers

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/02...ans-hypersonics-lasers-on-zumwalt-destroyers/

I know there was prior talk of it, and I believe there are some prototype lasers deployed on at least some of the Burkes, but those are for fucking with optical systems (human and machine) rather than putting holes in enemy ships, and hypersonic missiles may be coming soon.

As far as railguns go, though, those are still (probably) in the test phase at Dahlgren. I think last summer there was a notice put out by the Navy about a massive booming sound that could potentially damage the hearing of people in the area at a certain time.

Overall it wouldn't surprise me, the Zumwalts were envisioned as basically a cruiser in all but name but no clear mission other than "pack all sorts of nifty firepower and gear."

As an aside, I will say it's kind of crazy to think that the stuff we saw as far far *far* into the future is becoming reality...lasers, kinetic weapons, orbital missile defense...

 

[Aaron Fox]

@Airedale260, you should also put into account that ship class sizes and weights grew over the years, especially in the 20th century where they simply ballooned thanks to various technological developments.