Guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) sails through the Pacific Ocean on April 13, 2022 while underway in the U.S. 3rd Fleet. (Photo: U.S. Navy by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Christopher Sypert)
By Rich Abott |
@ReaderRabott
1 year ago |
08/30/2023
hypersonics Navy/USMC

The Navy awarded HII [HII] a $155 million modification to execute the modernization of the USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) that will install hypersonic missiles.

The work is expected to be finished by September 2025, an Aug. 29 DoD contract announcement said.

Guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) sails through the Pacific Ocean on April 13, 2022 while underway in the U.S. 3rd Fleet. (Photo: U.S. Navy by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Christopher Sypert)
Guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) sails through the Pacific Ocean on April 13, 2022 while underway in the U.S. 3rd Fleet. (Photo: U.S. Navy by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Christopher Sypert)

The Navy has contracted with HII’s Pascagoula, Miss., shipyard to replace the DDG-1000 unused Advanced Gun System with four 87-inch large missile vertical launch system (LMVLS) tubes to field up to 12 total Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missiles.

The work is occurring during an 18-month drydock availability . The Navy also directed the first two to three CPS test shots off the destroyer should occur by December 2025.

HII noted DDG-1000 arrived at Pascagoula on Aug. 19.

“It is an honor to serve the sailors of Zumwalt and to welcome them to our community. The Ingalls team is ready to support you in completing this important work,” Ingalls Shipbuilding DDG-1000 Ship Construction Manager Bruce Knowles said in a statement.

Last year, Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe, the Navy’s director for Strategic Systems Programs, said the biggest challenge for the service on this effort is completing the all-up round integration into the destroyer on time, within three years of when he spoke (Defense Daily, Nov. 8, 2022).

In January, HII won an initial $10.5 million contract to plan this modernization work (Defense Daily, Jan. 9). 

Then, in May, HII received a $37 million order to procure dry docking long-lead time material for the DDG-1000 and USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001) build yard modernization period (Defense Daily, May 12).

After the Navy puts CPS on the three Zumwalt-class destroyers, it intends to then install them by 2029 on the first Virginia-class attack submarine equipped with the Virginia Payload Module that holds more missile tubes.

While General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works (BIW) [GD] built the three Zumwalt-class, HII has experience because it built the deckhouses on each ship.

After DDG-1000 completes the modification, the Navy intends to install CPS on DDG-1001 over fiscal years 2026 to 2028.