US Navy equips USS Zumwalt with hypersonic missiles amid global arms race

In November 2024, the U.S. Navy is enhancing its naval capabilities by retrofitting the USS Zumwalt, a stealth destroyer, with the country’s first shipborne hypersonic weapon system. The Zumwalt-class destroyers, which have faced criticism for their exorbitant costs, are undergoing significant modifications at a Mississippi shipyard. Workers have replaced traditional gun turrets with missile tubes, thereby allowing each destroyer to be fitted with a total of 12 hypersonic missiles, part of the Navy's strategic response to increasing global competition in hypersonic technology, particularly from China and Russia. The new weapon system, known as “Conventional Prompt Strike,” is designed to launch like a ballistic missile, deploying a hypersonic glide vehicle that can reach speeds seven to eight times faster than sound. The urgency behind these developments is intensified by recent successful tests of hypersonic weapons conducted by both China and Russia, prompting the U.S. military to expedite its own hypersonic production programs. The Pentagon considers hypersonic technologies a priority for maintaining military competitiveness and deterrence. Despite the high costs associated with developing these advanced weapons systems, there is a consensus within the defense community of the necessity to pursue them. Critics like Loren Thompson have claimed that while hypersonic capable missiles are expensive, conventional weapons often struggle to reach their intended targets, rendering them less effective. The Zumwalt’s retrofitting and subsequent testing is set to begin in 2027 or 2028, reflecting strategic shifts and adaptations in U.S. military policy. The Zumwalt program, initially perceived as a misallocation of defense spending due to its reported price tag of $7.5 billion, now serves as a critical platform for naval innovation. Features such as electric propulsion, an angular hull for reduced radar visibility, and automated systems highlight the Navy’s commitment to modernizing its fleet. This pivot not only aims to validate past expenditures on the Zumwalt class but also to reinvigorate confidence in U.S. naval capabilities in the face of emerging threats and technological challenges in modern warfare.