DDG-1000 Zumwalt
DDG-1001 Michael Monsoor
DDG-1002 (Un-named)

USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) is to be the lead ship of the Zumwalt class and the first ship to be named for Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, who progressed to become the youngest Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) in American history. Elmo Russell Zumwalt, Jr. (29 November 1920 – 2 January 2000) was an American naval officer and the youngest man to serve as Chief of Naval Operations. As an admiral and later the 19th Chief of Naval Operations, Zumwalt played a major role in U.S. Military history, especially during the Vietnam War. A highly-decorated war veteran, Admiral Zumwalt reformed Naval personnel policies in an effort to improve enlisted life and ease racial tensions. After he retired from a 32-year Navy career, he launched an unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. Senate.

The hull classification beginning with DDG-1000 departs from the guided missile destroyer sequence that goes up to DDG-112 (the last of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers), and continues in the previous "gun destroyer" sequence left off with the last of the Spruance-class destroyers.

The DDG-1000 is planned to feature all of the following:

- Significantly reduced radar profile.
- Integrated power system for propulsion & weapons.
- Total ship computing environment for LAN.
- Automated fire-fighting & rupture isolation.
- Significntly reduced crew & operations expense.
- Wave-piercing tumblehome hull.
- Advanced Gun System (AGS) w/155mm guns.
- Peripheral Vertical Launch System (PVLS).

Originally, the Navy had hoped to build 32 of these destroyers. That number was later reduced to 24, then to 7, due to the high cost of new and experimental technologies to be incorporated in the destroyer. On 23 November 2005, the Defense Acquisition Board approved a plan for simultaneous construction of the first two DDG-1000 ships at Northrop’s Ingalls yard in Pascagoula, MS and General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works in Bath, ME. The Navy now expects each ship to cost over $3 billion dollars. The proposed 2010 budget recommends that three DDG-1000 ships be produced.

Many of the ship's features were developed under the DD21 program ("21st Century Destroyer"), which was originally designed around the Vertical Gun for Advanced Ships. In 2001, Congress cut the DD-21 program by half as part of the SC21 program. To save it, the acquisition program was renamed as DD(X) and reworked. Later, the program was again renamed to the DDG-1000 program which is the final name.

On 31 July 2008, U.S. Navy acquisition officials informed Congress that the service needed to purchase more Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, and no longer saw the need for multiple, next-generation DDG-1000 class. AT that time, it was suggested that only the two destroyers would be built. The Navy said the world threat picture had changed such that it made more sense to build at least eight more Burkes, rather than DDG-1000s. Many Congressional members were incredulous that the Navy could have conducted such a sweeping re-evaluation of the world threat picture in just a few weeks, after spending some 13 years and $10 billion on the surface ship program known as DD-21, then DD(X) and finally, DDG-1000. Subsequently chief of naval operations Gary Roughead cited the need to provide area air defense and specific new threats such as ballistic missiles and the possession of anti-ship missiles by groups such as Hezbollah.

On 19 August, 2008 Secretary Winter was reported as saying that a third Zumwalt would be built at Bath Iron Works, citing concerns about maintaining shipbuilding capacity. House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha said on 23 September 2008 that he had agreed to partial funding of the third DDG-1000 in the 2009 Defense authorization bill.

On 6 April 2009, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that DoD's proposed 2010 budget will end the DDG-1000 program at a maximum of three ships. Also in April, the Pentagon awarded a fixed-price contract with General Dynamics to build the three destroyers, replacing a cost-plus-fee contract that had been awarded to Northrop Grumman. All three destroyers will be built in Maine at Bath Iron works though sub-assemly work will occur at various other locations. The first and second destroyers are expected to cost around $3.5 billion and the third somewhat less than that.

DDG-1001 will be named for Master-at-Arms 2nd Class (SEAL) Michael Monsoor, the second SEAL to receive the Medal of Honor in the Global War on Terror (GWOT).

Goals for the various requirements include the following:

Stealth - Despite being 40% larger than an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer the radar signature will be more akin to a fishing boat and sound levels compared to the Los Angeles-class submarine. The tumblehome hull will reduce radar return and the composite material deckhouse also will have a low radar return. Water sleeting along the sides, along with passive cool air induction in the mack reduces thermal emissions.

Tumblehome wave piercing hull - The Zumwalt-class destroyer reintroduces the tumblehome hull form. In this hull form the hull widens from the deck to the waterline instead of flaring from the waterline up to the deck. This was done to reduce the radar return of the hull. The bow is designed to cut through waves rather than ride over them.

Advanced Gun System (AGS) - The Advanced Gun System is a 155 mm naval gun, two of which will be installed in each ship. This system consists of an advanced 155 mm gun and the Long Range Land-Attack Projectile. This projectile is in fact a rocket with a warhead fired from the AGS gun; the warhead weighs 11 kg/24 lb and has a circular error of probability of 50 meters. This weapon system will have a range of 83 nautical miles (154 km) and the fully automated storage system will have room for up to 750 rounds. The system will be provided with a magazine of 600 rounds or more per weapon and offers a rate of fire of 10 rounds per minute per gun. The barrel is water cooled to prevent over-heating. The combined firepower from two guns will give Zumwalt-class destroyers firepower equivalent to 18 conventional M-198 field guns.

Peripheral Vertical Launch System (PVLS) - The Peripheral Vertical Launch System will reclaim the prized center space of the hull while increasing the safety of the ship from the loss of the entire missile battery and the loss of the ship in the case of a magazine detonation. The system scatters pods of VLS around the outer shell of the ship having a thin steel outer shell and a thick inner shell. The design of the PVLS would direct the force of the explosion outward rather than ripping the ship in half. Additionally this design keeps the loss of missile capacity down to just the section being hit.

Helicopter and boat handling - Two landing spaces will be available for helicoptyers on a large aviation deck while boat handling is will use a stern housing with a ramp. The boat housing's stern location meets high sea state requirements for boat operations.

Dual-band radar - The AN/SPY-3 radar will send and receive S-band (high altitude large airspace) and X-band (high altitude near airspace) signals with a common-phase conformal array on the deckhouse. Each band will have its own signal processors, with the returns combined by the display sensor manager. This system will provide high detection and excellent anti-jamming capabilities.

Sonar - A dual-band sonar controlled by a highly automated computer system will be used to detect mines and submarines. The arrangemtn will be optimized for littoral Anti-submarine warfare and will include:.

- A hull-mounted mid-frequency sonar (AN/SQS-60)
- A hull-mounted high-frequency sonar (AN/SQS-61)
- A multi-function towed array sonar and handling system (AN/SQR-20)

Propulsion - The was orinally planning to use a Permanent Magnet Motor (PMM) within the hull. Due to early difficulties with this technology, the decision was made to use the backup proposal of an Advanced Induction Motors (AIM). AIM technology has a heavier motor, requires more space, requires a "separate controller" to meet noise requirements, and produces less voltage than the originally planned PMM Integrated Power System. But, the AIM is a superior technology to current gas turbines and will be available and workable in the schedule of the DDG-1000.

Automation - Significant automation improvements reduce the crew on Zumwalt-class destroyers. One of the major contributors to life cycle costs is staffing requirement on a warship.

Computer network - The Total Ship Computing Environment Infrastructure (TSCEI) will be based on GE Fanuc Embedded Systems' PPC7A and PPC7D single-board computers running Lynuxworks' Lynx RTOS.