The U.S. Navy’s most technologically advanced surface ship, future USS Zumwalt, left Bath Iron Works in Maine last week for its three-month long journey to San Diego, its new homeport.
Zumwalt’s features include a tumblehome hull, stealth design, 78 megawatts of power-generation capacity, as well as advanced weapon and propulsion systems. The surface ship is 610 feet long and 80.7 feet wide. The flight deck is 93 percent larger than an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.
The ship will be crewed by 147 sailors.
“The 147 sailors of Zumwalt (DDG 1000) have completed the training and certifications required of them in record time,” said Capt. James A. Kirk, Zumwalt’s commanding officer, in a Navy statement. “They have demonstrated superb technical expertise, teamwork, and toughness over the last three months.”
The future USS Zumwalt is named for Adm. Elmo R. “Bud” Zumwalt Jr., former chief of naval operations from 1970 to 1974.
The ship will be formally commission during Fleet Week in Baltimore on Oct. 15. After this commissioning ceremony, Zumwalt will begin its transit to San Diego, making port visits along the way.
Filed Under: Aerospace + defense