Navy.mil Underway Home About Status of the Navy Navy Organization Command Directory Our Ships Fact Files Today in Naval History Contact Us FAQ Leadership Secretary of the Navy Chief Of Naval Operations Master Chief Petty Officer Of The Navy Chief Of Naval Personnel Biographies SES Biographies Navy Command Tools News Top Stories Headlines Feature Stories Local Stories Media All Hands Update All Hands Radio News Video Gallery Photo Gallery Featured Galleries All Hands Magazine Archive Graphics Gallery Art Gallery Podcasts & RSS Feeds 2013 Owners and Operators Links Shift Colors-Navy Retiree Newsletter Naval History & Heritage Command Affected Navy Family Assistance Navy / Marine Corps Relief Navy Office of Community Outreach Joint Chiefs of Staff Military One Source Navy Personnel Command Navy Knowledge Online Pentagon Channel USA.gov Defense.gov Navy.mil Underway U.S. Army U.S. Air Force U.S. Marine Corps U.S. Coast Guard Navy Reserve Navy SAPR Careers .Navy POD. First Zumwalt Class Destroyer Launched -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Story Number: NNS131029-06Release Date: 10/29/2013 1:41:00 PM A A A Email this story to a friend Print this story From Naval Sea Systems Command BATH, Maine (NNS) -- General Dynamics Bath Iron Works successfully launched the Navys first Zumwalt-class destroyer Oct. 28 at their Bath, Maine shipyard. The future USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) will be the lead ship of the Navys newest destroyer class, designed for littoral operations and land attack. The ship began its translation from Bath Iron Works land-level construction facility to a floating dry dock on Friday. Once loaded into the dry dock, the dock was flooded and the ship was removed from its specially designed cradle. By late Monday, the dock had been flooded and the ship was floated off and tied to a pier on the Kennebec River. This is the largest ship Bath Iron Works has ever constructed and the Navys largest destroyer. The launch was unprecedented in both its size and complexity, said Capt. Jim Downey, the Zumwalt-class program manager for the Navys Program Executive Office, Ships. Due to meticulous planning and execution, the operation went very smoothly. Im extremely pleased with the results and applaud the combined efforts of the Navy-industry team. Construction began on DDG 1000 in February 2009, and the Navy and its industry partners have worked to mature the ships design and ready their industrial facilities to build this advanced surface combatant. Zumwalt is currently more than 87 percent complete, and the shipbuilder will continue remaining construction work on the hull prior to planned delivery late next year. Because of the complexity of the first-of-class ship, the Navy will perform a two-phase delivery process. Bath Iron Works will deliver the ship itself to the Navy in late 2014. Upon delivery, the Navy will then conduct combat systems activation, tests and trials, to include multiple underway periods. The ship is expected to reach its initial operating capability in 2016. The ship, the first of three Zumwalt-class destroyers, will provide independent forward presence and deterrence, support special operations forces and operate as part of joint and combined expeditionary forces. The Navy has incorporated many new technologies into the ships unique tumblehome hull, including an all-electric integrated power system and an Advanced Gun System, designed to fire rocket-powered, precision projectiles 63-nautical miles. The shape of the superstructure and the arrangement of its antennas significantly reduce the ships radar cross section, making the ship less visible to enemy radar at sea. The design also allows for optimal manning with a standard crew size of 130 and an aviation detachment of 28 Sailors thereby decreasing lifecycle operations and support costs. The lead ship and class are named in honor of former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Elmo R. Bud Zumwalt Jr., who served as chief of naval operations from 1970-1974. As one of the Defense Departments largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships, an affiliated PEO of the Naval Sea Systems Command, is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all major surface combatants, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships and special warfare craft.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 02:01:58 +0000
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