The USS Zumwalt will be outfitted with missile tubes for a new hypersonic weapon, set for testing by 2028.

The U.S. Navy is retrofitting the USS Zumwalt, a stealth destroyer, with missile tubes for the nation's first shipborne hypersonic weapon. The missile system will replace an expensive, never-used gun system. Hypersonic weapons can travel at speeds beyond Mach 5, making them hard to shoot down. The Zumwalt is set to undergo testing in 2027 or 2028. Despite high costs, the U.S. is accelerating development to keep pace with Russia and China.

November 30, 2024
68 Articles