According to the Navy, “USS Zumwalt is the largest destroyer and most technologically advanced surface combatant in the world, with a brand-new, state-of-the-art electric propulsion system, wave-piercing tumblehome hull, small crew, stealth design and the latest war fighting technology and weaponry available.”
Named for Adm. Elmo Zumwalt, Chief of Naval Operations from 1970 to 1974 who oversaw a modernization of the naval fleet, the Zumwalt is the most automated ship afloat. Its stealth design reduces its radar profile, and despite its size, it will operate with a crew of about 150 –about half the complement of the current Arleigh Burke class destroyers. A single encrypted network will control shipboard applications, from the basic physical operations to advanced weapons systems.
Defending this new warship requires not just weapons, but also protecting its critical infrastructure.
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