According to information published by Associated Press on August 28, 2021, the third and final Zumwalt-class destroyer USS Lyndon B. Johnson left the Maine Coast to begin sea trials in the Atlantic Ocean.
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Zumwalt-class destroyer USS Lyndon B. Johnson DDG 1002 (Picture source: U.S. Department of Defense)
USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002) is the third and final Zumwalt-class destroyer built for the United States Navy. The contract to build her was awarded to Bath Iron Works located in Bath, Maine, on 15 September 2011.
The Zumwalt-class destroyer is a class of three United States Navy guided-missile destroyers designed as multi-mission stealth ships with a focus on land attack. It is a multi-role class that was designed for secondary roles of surface warfare and anti-aircraft warfare and originally designed with a primary role of naval gunfire support.
The wave-piercing tumblehome hull design has facilitated a wide array of advancements. The composite superstructure significantly reduces radar cross section and other signatures, making the ship harder to detect by enemies at sea. The design also allows for optimal manning with a standard crew size of 147 sailors, plus an air detachment of 28 thereby decreasing lifecycle operations and support costs.
The Zumwalt-class destroyers are equipped with 20 four-cell PVLS (Peripheral Vertical Launch System) situated around the perimeter of the deck. The system consists of pods of VLS cells distributed around the outer shell of the ship, with a thin steel outer shell and a thick inner shell.
The class is also armed with two 155 mm naval guns able to fire Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP). This projectile is a rocket with a warhead fired from the AGS gun. The warhead has an 11 kg / 24 lb bursting charge and has a circular error probable of 50 meters. This weapon system has a range of 154 km.
