DDG-1000 Zumwalt Destroyer Needs More Features to be Called a Battleship : Tech : HNGN

The stealth destroyer can fire missiles and is often cited for its high-tech attributes, giving more highlight to its stealthy shape. Most would go far to define it as a battleship.

DDG-1000 is the future but is not optimized

Though Zumwalt has the looks of a battleship that would be armed with the biggest guns on the water and bombarding shores in Normandy or Kuwait, it is not the cause for this US naval vessel.

But the DDG-1000 Zumwalt is the first stealth warship that is getting tested by the US Navy, once it passes all sea trials in the New England coasts to be commissioned after. Its unique shape was designed by shipbuilders to lessen its detectability by modern radar, with its stealthy design, reported National Interest.

The ship is designed to lessen radar returns that bounce back, which is why it is called a stealth warship. It deceives the radar of the enemy to alter the echo which returns. The high-tech warship has less of a radar return than the Arleigh-Burke class, noted by Fas Org. The destroyer weighs as much as Ticonderoga cruised but looks smaller on radar, and can even look less intimidating on sensors.

The vessel is painted with radar-absorbent paint on all the exterior parts that absorbs radar waves hitting it. Its shape will be an advantage when it cruises over the water, anyone seeing it will need to look harder.

Weapons: Will They be Effective Against Enemy Ships?

One question is how the advanced gun of the ship will be effective against enemy ships, but a government report touts the gun's use of gun's long-range land-attack projectiles, cited Pogo. Makers of the ship's main gun say the advanced gun will work well against other ships, and it will do well in any littoral-combat mission.

Some critics of the DDG-1000 say that when it comes to surface operations, they lack the capabilities of fully fledge battleships. This is why the ship is called a stealth battleship, which is something to consider.

The Problem With the Stealth Battleship

Even if touted by the USN, the stealth warship has the same problems as the US Naval fleet. Most likely the guns on the destroyer have the same range as others like which is 83-nautical miles. Guns have a fast rate of fire, despite having an 80-round missile magazine which is good.

Next is the great range for guns is advantageous, but it can't get close enough to fire its load on any target. The distance of its gun is amazing though adversaries are armed with long-range missiles like the Chinese YJ-18 anti-ship cruise missile. This missile can hit targets 290 nautical miles beyond visuals range (BVR), the DDG-1000 Zumwalt will carry Harpoons anti-ship missiles, to compensate for its guns.