Navy takes delivery of DDG-1000

The Navy announced that it took delivery today of the lead ship in the Zumwalt class of destroyers.

Naval Sea Systems Command in a press release said the Zumwalt (DDG-1000) was delivered following its combat systems activation and would now conduct additional testing at sea.

"The combat test team, consisting of the DDG-1000 sailors, Raytheon engineers, and Navy field activity teams, have worked diligently to get USS Zumwalt ready for more complex, multimission at-sea testing. I am excited to begin demonstrating the performance of this incredible ship," DDG-1000 program manager Capt. Kevin Smith said in a statement.

A January presentation by Smith at the Surface Navy Association's annual symposium said the Navy would accept delivery of the destroyer in March 2020.

The Zumwalt is part of Surface Development Squadron One, which the Navy formally established last May to experiment with unmanned surface vessels.

Vice Adm. Richard Brown, commander of Naval Surface Forces, at the same January symposium floated the Zumwalt class as a potential platform for Conventional Prompt Strike.

Lawmakers in the fiscal year 2020 defense authorization conference report included a provision mandating the Navy guarantee it has the ability to move any technologies the service creates for Conventional Prompt Strike to a "surface-launched platform."

Smith in January confirmed to Inside Defense that the Zumwalt was one of several platforms under consideration for CPS.

The Navy said it also took delivery of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Delbert Black (DDG-119) today.