The U.S. Navy is currently retrofitting its first shipborne hypersonic weapon aboard the guided-missile destroyer Zumwalt at a shipyard in Mississippi. This initiative aims to convert what was seen as a costly error into a valuable strategic asset. The Zumwalt is receiving missile tubes to replace twin turrets of an Advanced Gun System that was never activated due to high costs.
Bryan Clark, a defense analyst at the Hudson Institute, commented on the transformation, stating, “It was a costly blunder. But the Navy could take victory from the jaws of defeat here, and get some utility out of them by making them into a hypersonic platform.”
The U.S. military has been under pressure to accelerate the production of hypersonic weapons due to advancements made by Russia and China. These weapons, which can travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5, possess enhanced maneuverability, making them significantly harder to intercept.
Recent disclosures showed that China had tested an intermediate-range hypersonic weapon, the DF-27, which the Pentagon had previously acknowledged but had not confirmed its testing. One of the U.S. programs being developed for the Zumwalt is the “Conventional Prompt Strike,” a missile system that can launch a hypersonic glide vehicle to speeds of seven to eight times the speed of sound. Each Zumwalt-class destroyer is expected to hold four missile tubes, each containing three hypersonic missiles, totaling 12 per vessel.
Despite its $7.5 billion cost, critics regard the Zumwalt as an expensive mistake. Originally designed for land-attack capability using an Advanced Gun System, the Zumwalt’s gun system was ultimately canceled due to exorbitant projectile costs ranging from $800,000 to $1 million.
The Zumwalt is noted for being the Navy’s most technologically advanced surface warship, equipped with electric propulsion, a stealthy radar signature, and automated systems.
The destroyer arrived at Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, in August 2023 for these upgrades and is expected to be undocked soon for further testing and return to fleet operations.
Although a successful test of a U.S. hypersonic weapon occurred recently, the development of these weapons continues with plans for system testing aboard the Zumwalt projected for 2027 or 2028. However, the cost for the missile system is substantial; it would amount to nearly $18 billion to acquire 300 units and maintain them over 20 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Critics argue that the expense may not justify the utility, with military analyst Loren Thompson highlighting the financial disparity between missile costs and potential targets. Conversely, retired Navy Rear Admiral Ray Spicer advocates for the hypersonic development, stating they provide a unique ability for naval vessels to strike from thousands of kilometers away, beyond the reach of most enemy defenses.
The urgency for developing hypersonics stems from their strategic importance to U.S. national security, according to James Weber, principal director for hypersonics in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies. He emphasized that new hypersonic capabilities are vital for sustaining the U.S.’s deterrence strategy.
