United States Navy Ships: USS Zumalt Christened In Maine, Ship Virtually Invisible Underwater
Saturday marked the U.S. Navy's christening of the $7 billion USS Zumalt Warship Destroyer in Bath, Maine. Although the ship is not entirely done, it appeared bold and majestic at its christening.
The Zumwalt was built by General Dynamics.
"...[it] represents the beginning of another era of service for this great name," said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus in a statement. "Just as Admiral Elmo R. 'Bud' Zumwalt helped shape our nation's Navy as the 19th chief of naval operations, DDG-1000 will help shape the future of surface combatants."
Admiral "Bud" Zumwalt attended the ship's christening and opened a bottle of champagne against the ships hull, WebPro News reports. Bud Zumwalt became the youngest officer to ever serve as Chief of Naval Operations and played a major role during the Vietnam War. Zumwalt reformed U.S. Navy personnel policies which improved enlisted life and eased racial tensions.
As for the actual ship herself, Mabus described her as "the first of her class."
The Zumwalt DDG-1000 currently stands as the Navy's largest destroyer. Her features include state of the art technology that can target submarines, defeat minefields, and obliterate shore defenses with low-altitude missiles that evade radar. The ship also comes equipped with outstanding artillery and even an electromagnetic rail gun, which is currently in testing, according to the Business Insider. The ship also features a mission center that includes a secure networking system which allows the ship's captain to control all manner of system from anywhere on the ship.
But wait, there's more.
Its sophisticated technology allows for less crewmembers onboard. The Zumwalt will only require 130 to operate it and another 28 members for aviation. With a ship so magnificent in design, one would probably be surprised to know that the ship is practically invisible underwater. According to the Business Insider, its futuristic lines serve to maintain its stealth, as the ship would be seen on an enemy radar screen as nothing more than a small fishing boat. It also has Raytheon's Integrated Undersea Warfare sonar, a sophisticated suite of sensors for anti-submarine and torpedo defense.
The USS Zumwalt is scheduled to be in operation by next spring.
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