Zumwalt project: long-awaited final postponed again
The most daring project of the US naval forces at present is the construction of destroyers such as Zumwalt. This project uses the latest and most bold technologies, which leads to special complexity and numerous difficulties. The other day it became known that the lead destroyer again faces significant difficulties, and this again hinders the achievement of full operational readiness.
USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) in trials
New messages about the failures and problems of the Zumwalt project on 9 were announced in October by Bloomberg news agency, citing the press service of the US Navy. The naval forces indicated the persistence of problems and another failure to meet deadlines. In addition, new plans for the first destroyer of the series were announced.
According to previous plans, the lead destroyer of the USS Zumwalt series (DDG-1000) was supposed to reach full operational readiness in September this year. However, these plans were not fulfilled. Testing and testing of on-board systems continues and faces some unnamed challenges. As a result, the Navy and industry are forced to continue to refine the ship.
The previously approved work schedule was disrupted, but the command approved a new one. Achievement of full readiness will not take place earlier than the second quarter of the 2020 calendar year. Due to the delay and the need to continue work, the Pentagon has requested additional funding in the amount of 163 million dollars.
No new information about the nature of the difficulties and problems was announced. According to earlier reports by the Navy and the media, the tests revealed numerous problems with overcomplicated computer systems, new weapons, etc.
The destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) is the lead ship of the project of the same name, whose task was to sharply increase the combat effectiveness of the American fleet. It was laid down in February 2011, and in October 2016 it was handed over to the naval forces. Since then, the ship has made several trips, but still has not reached a state of complete readiness for service and solving combat missions.
Against the background of real events, the initial plans for the program, which were formed in the middle of the 2000s, look extremely interesting. They planned to lay the lead ship in the near future and launch it in 2012-13. In the middle of the decade, he was supposed to begin his service. Due to subsequent problems in construction and testing, the schedule was revised, and all major events moved to the right.
In reality, it will take about nine years from the bookmark to the start of the ship’s full service - of which three and a half years have passed since the delivery of the Navy destroyer. To this you can also add the initial dates approved more than 10 years ago. The unacceptably long duration of construction, testing and refinement is a record and unpleasantly distinguish the current Zumwalt project from the rest of the American destroyers.
The anti-record is delivered not only in terms of time, but also in value. Early plans included the construction of 32 limited-cost ships. It was planned to spend 3,5 billion dollars on the lead destroyer, and not more than 2,5 billion dollars on serial ones
During the construction of the head USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), the cost of the ship was constantly growing, which led to a reduction in the entire series to three units. The total cost of design and construction at the same time reached 22,5 billion dollars - an average of approx. 7,5 billion per ship.
The completion of the first destroyer was not completed, and new spending was planned for the next year. Thus, its value continues to grow. For the price, this ship with missile and artillery weapons has already caught up with the previous generation nuclear carriers.
Over the past several years, the US Navy has regularly disclosed information on the progress of the development of the destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000). Recently in similar the news featured the first production ship USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001). USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002) will soon join them.
USS Michael Monsoor Destroyer Baptism Ceremony (DDG-1001), 18 June 2016
Tests and refinement of the lead destroyer led to well-known results, and the Navy had to take the necessary measures. Together with several companies responsible for the construction of ships and the production of avionics, they conduct testing and development of the lead ship. Most of the shortcomings have already been fixed, and the elimination of the remaining takes only a few months.
According to various sources, the experience of testing and refinement of the head USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) was immediately taken into account in the construction of two other ships. The design was finalized, general ship and other systems were finalized, electronics was improved, etc. Thanks to this, as expected, the new destroyers will be deprived of a number of “inherent” shortcomings of their predecessor.
Nevertheless, it cannot be ruled out yet that such an approach will allow timely elimination of all problems. First of all, it must be remembered that not all problems of the lead ship were identified and corrected before the testing of the following destroyers. Thus, shortly after delivery, the two ships will need average repairs to modernize the design and instrumentation.
The problem with artillery weapons remains unresolved. The Zumwalt destroyers carry two AGS 155 mm artillery mounts. The guns were developed for the use of guided projectiles of extended range LRLAP. Due to the complexity and lack of special commercial prospects, such a projectile was notable for its extremely high price - approx. 800 thousand dollars. As a result, in November 2016, the LRLAP project was closed. AGS installations were left without a single compatible ammunition and therefore stand idle on ships idle. There are no realistic plans for the return of artillery to service.
And yet now the situation with the USS Zumwalt destroyer (DDG-1000) gives some reasons for optimism. This time, the achievement of full operational readiness was postponed for a shorter period, which indicates that there are fewer problems that need to be addressed. Thus, the ship can indeed begin full service after the first quarter of 2020.
The situation with the other two ships of the new project is not entirely clear. Their refinement may drag on for several years, but after the 2020, they will certainly enter the combat structure of the US Navy and will be able to solve the tasks.
Thus, in the Zumwalt destroyer project, the situation is characteristic of new and bold developments. Excessive technical courage leads to a mass of shortcomings, the search and correction of which requires time and money. However, no one is going to refuse new ships - and at any cost they will be brought to full service.
However, the appearance of only three revolutionary new destroyers will not have a significant impact on the combat effectiveness of the Navy. The main surface ships of the US Navy for the coming decades will remain the destroyers Arleigh Burke. Their construction continues, and they will have to serve for almost half a century.
USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) in trials
Latest news
New messages about the failures and problems of the Zumwalt project on 9 were announced in October by Bloomberg news agency, citing the press service of the US Navy. The naval forces indicated the persistence of problems and another failure to meet deadlines. In addition, new plans for the first destroyer of the series were announced.
According to previous plans, the lead destroyer of the USS Zumwalt series (DDG-1000) was supposed to reach full operational readiness in September this year. However, these plans were not fulfilled. Testing and testing of on-board systems continues and faces some unnamed challenges. As a result, the Navy and industry are forced to continue to refine the ship.
The previously approved work schedule was disrupted, but the command approved a new one. Achievement of full readiness will not take place earlier than the second quarter of the 2020 calendar year. Due to the delay and the need to continue work, the Pentagon has requested additional funding in the amount of 163 million dollars.
No new information about the nature of the difficulties and problems was announced. According to earlier reports by the Navy and the media, the tests revealed numerous problems with overcomplicated computer systems, new weapons, etc.
Ship Record
The destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) is the lead ship of the project of the same name, whose task was to sharply increase the combat effectiveness of the American fleet. It was laid down in February 2011, and in October 2016 it was handed over to the naval forces. Since then, the ship has made several trips, but still has not reached a state of complete readiness for service and solving combat missions.
Against the background of real events, the initial plans for the program, which were formed in the middle of the 2000s, look extremely interesting. They planned to lay the lead ship in the near future and launch it in 2012-13. In the middle of the decade, he was supposed to begin his service. Due to subsequent problems in construction and testing, the schedule was revised, and all major events moved to the right.
In reality, it will take about nine years from the bookmark to the start of the ship’s full service - of which three and a half years have passed since the delivery of the Navy destroyer. To this you can also add the initial dates approved more than 10 years ago. The unacceptably long duration of construction, testing and refinement is a record and unpleasantly distinguish the current Zumwalt project from the rest of the American destroyers.
The anti-record is delivered not only in terms of time, but also in value. Early plans included the construction of 32 limited-cost ships. It was planned to spend 3,5 billion dollars on the lead destroyer, and not more than 2,5 billion dollars on serial ones
During the construction of the head USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), the cost of the ship was constantly growing, which led to a reduction in the entire series to three units. The total cost of design and construction at the same time reached 22,5 billion dollars - an average of approx. 7,5 billion per ship.
The completion of the first destroyer was not completed, and new spending was planned for the next year. Thus, its value continues to grow. For the price, this ship with missile and artillery weapons has already caught up with the previous generation nuclear carriers.
Solving Problems
Over the past several years, the US Navy has regularly disclosed information on the progress of the development of the destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000). Recently in similar the news featured the first production ship USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001). USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002) will soon join them.
USS Michael Monsoor Destroyer Baptism Ceremony (DDG-1001), 18 June 2016
Tests and refinement of the lead destroyer led to well-known results, and the Navy had to take the necessary measures. Together with several companies responsible for the construction of ships and the production of avionics, they conduct testing and development of the lead ship. Most of the shortcomings have already been fixed, and the elimination of the remaining takes only a few months.
According to various sources, the experience of testing and refinement of the head USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) was immediately taken into account in the construction of two other ships. The design was finalized, general ship and other systems were finalized, electronics was improved, etc. Thanks to this, as expected, the new destroyers will be deprived of a number of “inherent” shortcomings of their predecessor.
Nevertheless, it cannot be ruled out yet that such an approach will allow timely elimination of all problems. First of all, it must be remembered that not all problems of the lead ship were identified and corrected before the testing of the following destroyers. Thus, shortly after delivery, the two ships will need average repairs to modernize the design and instrumentation.
The problem with artillery weapons remains unresolved. The Zumwalt destroyers carry two AGS 155 mm artillery mounts. The guns were developed for the use of guided projectiles of extended range LRLAP. Due to the complexity and lack of special commercial prospects, such a projectile was notable for its extremely high price - approx. 800 thousand dollars. As a result, in November 2016, the LRLAP project was closed. AGS installations were left without a single compatible ammunition and therefore stand idle on ships idle. There are no realistic plans for the return of artillery to service.
The long-awaited finale
And yet now the situation with the USS Zumwalt destroyer (DDG-1000) gives some reasons for optimism. This time, the achievement of full operational readiness was postponed for a shorter period, which indicates that there are fewer problems that need to be addressed. Thus, the ship can indeed begin full service after the first quarter of 2020.
The situation with the other two ships of the new project is not entirely clear. Their refinement may drag on for several years, but after the 2020, they will certainly enter the combat structure of the US Navy and will be able to solve the tasks.
Thus, in the Zumwalt destroyer project, the situation is characteristic of new and bold developments. Excessive technical courage leads to a mass of shortcomings, the search and correction of which requires time and money. However, no one is going to refuse new ships - and at any cost they will be brought to full service.
However, the appearance of only three revolutionary new destroyers will not have a significant impact on the combat effectiveness of the Navy. The main surface ships of the US Navy for the coming decades will remain the destroyers Arleigh Burke. Their construction continues, and they will have to serve for almost half a century.
- Ryabov Kirill
- US Navy, National Museum of the US Navy
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