On Saturday 12 April,the US Navy's Pre-Commissioning Unit Zumwalt was christened at Bath Iron Works,Maine.The ship's sponsors,Mouzetta Zumwalt Weathers and Ann Zumwalt,daughters of the the late Admiral Elmo "Bud" Zumwalt,broke a bottle of champagne over the warship's bow in the formal naming ceremony.Also attending was Lt.Colonel Jim Zumwalt,US Marine Corps retired,the admiral's son,and Senator Susan Collins(R-Maine).*
Bud Zumwalt is best known for improving the living conditions of Sailors and opening up opportunities in the Navy to women and African Americans.He promoted the first female and African American officers to the rank of admiral and allowed women to fly warplanes and serve on ships at sea.*
The PCU Zumwalt is the first of three of the new Zumwalt class of destroyer that will be built at Bath by General Dynamics.She has the most advanced features,including a composite deckhouse with hidden radars and sensors;a stealthy shape;a wave-piercing hull that reduces her wake;electric propulsion;and surplus power for weapons of the future,such as the electromagnetic railgun to be tested at sea in 2016.*
The highly automated ship will have a crew of just 148-about half the size of other destroyers.At 610 feet in length,there will be plenty of room for the Sailors.Cameras and video monitors will reduce the number standing watch.The Zumwalt will be delivered late this year and commissioned in 2016.
It could be called a battleship,given its large size and heavy armament.Besides VLS cells for launching Tomahawk and several other missiles,the ship will initially have two fully automated 155 mm Advanced Gun Systems with rocket-assisted munitions that have a range of 83 nautical miles,and two Mk 110 57 mm guns.Later,the electromagnetic railgun may be added.The ship can also carry two MH-60R helicopters,or one MH-60R plus three RQ8B Firescout unmanned aerial vehicles.*
General Dynamics(GD)
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