The Zumwalt would have been a superior ship if it would have been fully equipped. But it lacks one half of her radar set, the long range SPY-4 radar. Obviously, a not fully equipped ship will rarely forward deployed, but e.g. Zumwalt was 2022 in the Western Pacific (e.g. Guam) and Michael Monsoor took part in RIMPAC 2022.
That new systems cost more is obvious - but new systems are needed.
I really wonder why the USN bought the SPY-3/4 radars for only so few ships (a complete set only for Ford!) and now is again using only a radar which is not suitable to guide missiles (SPY-6) and therefore still need old-fashioned fire-control radars as SPG-62. Most navies today use a combination of two active phased array radars, one as long range search radar and one for observing the radar horizon and guiding the missiles. The USN in some cases pair SPY-6 with SPQ-9B, but the later is still in front of the mast and not on the top..
Ralph corrected you regarding the testing - which has nothing do with a "revolutionary" or "evolutionary" approach, because the testing would have to be done for new systems anyway. And new systems are necessary for both approaches, because otherwise there is stagnation (imaging the USN would have had built in 1942 still ships based on the design of the 1903 USS Connecticut (BB-18) - for that long the USN is building ships based on USS Arleigh Burke!).
The reports regarding the seaworthiness shows that Zumwalt is superior to the older designs - which make a lot of sense, see e.g. the massive changes in hull forms of offshore-vessels and even cruising ships. Traditional bow forms are in some sectors now rare... As are traditional propulsion systems...
Responses