USS Zumwalt - America's First Stealth Destroyer

Covey22

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Zumwalt is headed for her home port in San Diego from the builder's yard in Bath, ME. But she stopped by Newport Naval Station near where I live. It was a rare chance to see an amazing machine. The term destroyer is a misnomer, she displaces as much tonnage as a WW2 Heavy Cruiser. We weren't even allowed on the pier, but the elevated road gave some nice viewpoints to see her lines.

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Serious question. Are there stealth-capable support vessels too? In the Navy they are called "Royal Fleet Auxiliaries" and they accompany the warships. If I were an enemy I would track the Auxiliaries to help find the stealthy warships if they are not themselves stealthy...
 
Serious question. Are there stealth-capable support vessels too? In the Navy they are called "Royal Fleet Auxiliaries" and they accompany the warships. If I were an enemy I would track the Auxiliaries to help find the stealthy warships if they are not themselves stealthy...
Hopefully they considered this. The Air Force certainly does.
 
Serious question. Are there stealth-capable support vessels too? In the Navy they are called "Royal Fleet Auxiliaries" and they accompany the warships. If I were an enemy I would track the Auxiliaries to help find the stealthy warships if they are not themselves stealthy...
Good question. In the US Navy, they are prefixed with the letter T, T-AK, T-AKE, etc. Manned by a mixed crew and considered non-combat vessels (USNS, not USS). Generally speaking Stealth is lost on logistics replenishment ships - between all the booms, cranes and various connectors, there's no happy compromise to stealth it and deliver fuel oil, munitions and provisions in an efficient manner. They are however the most important ships afloat next to capital combat vessels like carriers, and are protected accordingly.

Edited to add - usually replenishment at sea happens away from the active battlezones or hotspots, so they could track replenishment ops, but once that's complete and the combatant vessels break away for their missions, theoretically, Zumwalt "disappears." At least that's the plan now.
 
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Yep, looks a lot like the Merrimac.

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Ahem . . . perhaps you mean the CSS Virginia? :)

It does look like some of the early ironclads. To actually make a serous comment, it has such clean lines. OTOH, I bet all sorts of doors will suddenly open and all hell breaks loose. Nice article here:
U.S. Navy gives look inside futuristic $4.4 billion Zumwalt destroyer

Even better: It cost $4.4 billion and the commanding officer is Captain James Kirk.
 
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