The U.S. Navy is shifting from a previous costly error to a crucial innovation by installing the first ship-based hypersonic weapon aboard its USS Zumwalt, one of the Navy’s advanced destroyers. At a shipyard in Mississippi, workers are replacing the ship’s twin turrets with missile tubes, marking a significant transformation of the Zumwalt. This upgrade aims to enhance the ship’s capabilities for executing swift and precise strikes from much greater distances.
According to defense analyst Bryan Clark from the Hudson Institute, while the previous program represented a significant mistake, the Navy has the opportunity to turn this situation around by adapting the Zumwalt into a hypersonic platform. Over the past two decades, the U.S. has been working on various hypersonic weapon designs, but recent hypersonic tests conducted by Russia and China have intensified the pressure on American military forces to speed up their development and deployment.
Hypersonic weapons, which travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5—more than five times the speed of sound—are characterized by their remarkable maneuverability, making them significantly more difficult to intercept. A report from last year discussed how documents leaked by former Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira revealed a Defense Department briefing confirming that China had successfully tested a hypersonic weapon named DF-27. Although the Pentagon had acknowledged the weapon’s development, its actual testing was not previously disclosed.
The “Conventional Prompt Strike” program is one such initiative under development for the Zumwalt. This system is designed to launch like a ballistic missile, deploying a hypersonic glide vehicle that can travel at seven to eight times the speed of sound before striking its target. This weapon system is under a collaborative development effort between the Navy and the Army, with each Zumwalt-class destroyer poised to carry four missile tubes, each capable of housing three hypersonic missiles, amounting to a total of 12 missiles per ship.
In choosing to enhance the Zumwalt, which has cost $7.5 billion, the Navy aims to boost the operational value of a vessel that has faced criticism as an expensive misstep, even while serving as a testing ground for numerous technological advances. Originally, the Zumwalt was intended to support land assaults through an Advanced Gun System equipped with rocket-assisted shells, designed to facilitate marine landings. However, this system was scrapped as each of the rocket-assisted projectiles carried an exorbitant price tag ranging from $800,000 to $1 million.
Despite facing criticism, the Zumwalt-class destroyers continue to stand as the Navy’s most advanced surface warships, boasting a suite of innovative technologies—such as electric propulsion, a design that minimizes radar detection, an unconventional hull capable of piercing waves, and automated systems for fire and damage control.
The Zumwalt arrived at Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, in August 2023 and is currently undergoing extensive modifications to integrate the new weapon system. It is expected to be undocked shortly for further testing before rejoining the fleet, according to shipyard representative Kimberly Aguillard. The Navy successfully tested a hypersonic weapon last summer and continues to refine the development of these advanced missiles, with plans to start testing aboard the Zumwalt by 2027 or 2028.
The financial implications of the U.S. hypersonic weapon system are substantial, with estimates around $18 billion for procuring and maintaining 300 units over 20 years, as noted by the Congressional Budget Office. Critics have expressed concerns over the cost-effectiveness of such a system. Loren Thompson, a defense analyst in Washington, D.C., argues that the price of these missiles greatly exceeds the value of potential targets, likening their expense to more than a dozen tanks and questioning if the financial investment is justified.
Nevertheless, retired Navy Rear Adm. Ray Spicer, who is the CEO of the U.S. Naval Institute and a former aircraft carrier strike force commander, highlights the strategic advantage these weapons provide. They enable Navy vessels to strike from thousands of kilometers away, keeping them safe from most enemy retaliation and complicating defense efforts for adversaries.
Conventional missiles may offer lower costs but may not reach intended targets, underscoring the necessity for advanced hypersonic capabilities, Spicer added. The U.S. military recognizes the need to pursue hypersonics in order to remain competitive with adversaries who are developing similar technologies.
James Weber, principal director for hypersonics in the Defense Department, stated the urgency of fielding new hypersonic technologies, emphasizing the importance of these systems for U.S. national security. He indicated that establishing capabilities based on hypersonic advancements is a primary concern for the defense sector, aimed at maintaining and enhancing integrated deterrence and securing long-term military advantages.