U.S. Navy to Integrate Hypersonic ‘Superweapon’ onto Zumwalt Stealth Destroyers

The U.S. Navy has revealed it plans to integrate  the hypersonic Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) intercontinental ranged ballistic missile onto its stealthy Zumwalt Class heavy destroyers, which will reportedly allow the warships to strike any target across the world within an hour. While the destroyer was previously considered a failure, facing issues with reliability and multiple breakdowns and seeing its primary weapons system removed due to massive cost overruns, the warship’s costly and high endurance stealth design is reportedly being repurposed for new roles. The warship class was initially designed primarily for land attack. Of 32 Zumwalt Class ships initially set to be built, the Navy will only receive three - each at over $7.5 billion - which will enter service several years behind schedule. Captain Kevin Smith, the Zumwalt Class destroyer Program Manager, stated at the Surface Naval Association Annual Symposium regarding the program: “This would be the perfect platform for Conventional Prompt Strike.”

The CPS weapons program is intended to bring the range and speed comparable to a nuclear ICBM to a conventional attack, allowing it to be used against non-nuclear adversaries and to neutralise targets without escalation to nuclear war. The program dates back to the mid 2000s, but is reportedly being accelerated in response to the re-emergence of near peer threats to American primacy. The weapon’s range is expected to exceed that of any non nuclear missile currently deployed. It remains uncertain whether all Zumwalt Class ships will be equipped to carry these missiles, or how many can be integrated onto each ship. Deploying the missiles may require a removal of the Zumwalt Class' existing vertical launch system for cruise missiles, as the intercontinental ranged ballistic missiles will almost certainly have a much larger diameter than a Tomahawk or other classes of tactical cruise missile.