While the advanced Zumwalt ships can surely be used in combat, that would be for special missions and not routine supplements to the fleet. Testing advanced weapons makes the most sense to build future sea control.
Facing advanced adversaries such as China, the Navy is looking to utilize some of its newest ships to test high-tech weapon systems, including hypersonic missiles, a top official said July 22.
The Navy is planning to test a Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic boost glide missile and weapon system — developed in partnership with the Army — on the DDG-1000 USS Zumwalt destroyer, said Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener, commander of Naval Surface Forces.
I've felt this way about the ships for a while:
I think the 3-ship class is mostly a test-bed class of ships even though they could fight.
And I have zero worries about the inability to use the 5" guns because I believe the mission of shore bombardment was insane.
Honestly, the main contribution of the class is the research that went into the ships that will be used in the replacement for the Burke class ships.
And I assume that some of that tech will go into the "Burke Lite" super frigates the Navy will build.
The technology that went into the ship won't be wasted despite building just three. And the ships can test new technology that will be used for future ships, too.
