Here's the Navy's press release on her arrival...... note that it kind of glosses over the issue she experienced in the Atlantic and the little problem she had in the Panama Canal. In case you missed it, she had an engine failure but it was repaired successfully and on she went. But now she's hopefully fully functional and well into her crew training.
The US Navy's largest and most technologically advanced destroyer, the USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000), arrived at its new homeport of San Diego, California today. The first-in-class warship left the Bath Iron Works shipyard in Bath, Maine on September 7 and made passage through the Panama canal, making goodwill visits to various ports along the way.
According to the Navy, the US$4
billion Zumwalt's advanced design meant the crew has been kept extremely busy
at training exercises as they familiarized themselves with the ship's
operations since the Navy took formal possession of it last May. In addition, the
vessel suffered many teething incidents, including a propulsion malfunction en route to its
commissioning ceremony in Baltimore and another breakdown in the Panama canal.
Named after Admiral Elmo R.
"Bud" Zumwalt Jr., former chief of naval operations from 1970 to
1974, the Zumwalt is notable for its composite superstructure and wave-piercing
tumblehome hull designed to make it 50 times stealthier than current ships,
which will help it in its task as a multi-mission land attack and littoral
dominance warship. In addition, it's the first US Navy ship with an integrated
power system capable of both providing propulsion and powering the next
generation of directed energy weapons.
We have not heard a definitive solution to the $800,000 per shot issue with her main armament, but one must suppose there is something in the works on that.
That's it for now....until next time,
Fair Winds,
Old Salt
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