The most advanced warship has just left port. After years of secrecy and setbacks, this invisible destroyer of the United States (U.S.) Navy, worth 8 billion dollars, is finally ready for a radically new mission.
A major milestone has been reached in the U.S. Navy’s long-term strategy to modernize its surface fleet. USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), a destroyer with “invisible missiles,” once considered a technological experiment, has begun its transition from concept to a fully operational platform. After years of planning and redesign, the ship has now entered dry dock for its most important upgrade to date: the integration of hypersonic missiles.
The warship, part of the 8 billion dollar development program for the Zumwalt class, is the first of its kind to be retrofitted with the U.S. military’s Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB). Designed to travel at speeds above Mach 5, this weapon is key to the Pentagon’s Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) initiative, which seeks to deliver precise, non-nuclear strike capabilities across global distances within minutes.
The reconstruction marks a significant departure from the vessel’s original design intent. Once equipped with advanced artillery for naval gunfire support, USS Zumwalt is now being reconfigured into a long-range strike platform with capabilities previously limited to experimental systems. The Navy has confirmed that the ship will carry 12 C-HGBs, housed in four newly installed vertical launch tubes, replacing the original advanced 155 mm guns.
Fast weapons, forward deployment
The modernization of Zumwalt-class destroyers is part of broader Navy efforts to reposition its most advanced surface and undersea combat vessels in the Indo-Pacific. By mid-2028, all three Zumwalt-class destroyers, along with up to three Virginia-class submarines equipped with hypersonic or extended-range cruise missiles, are expected to be stationed at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam in Hawaii.
Construction and modernization work is underway at the facility, including upgrades to the electrical system and expansion of dry dock capacity. According to U.S. Navy planning documents, this infrastructure is necessary to support the power demands, maintenance needs, and logistical requirements of operating hypersonic warships.
Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) has presented detailed plans for modernization and basing, confirming timelines for completing the Zumwalt transformation by May 2026. The other two destroyers, USS Lyndon B. Johnson and USS Michael Monsoor, are expected to follow shortly thereafter.
Submarine fleet follows the surface lead
In parallel with surface fleet modernization, the Navy is also preparing its Virginia-class submarines for expanded strike roles. The two newest vessels, USS Arizona and USS Barb, will carry the Virginia Payload Module (VPM), enabling each submarine to deploy 12 CPS hypersonic missiles or 28 Tomahawk cruise missiles.
These submarines will also be based in Hawaii, supported by major upgrades to the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF), including the construction of a new Dry Dock 5. The facilities are designed to accommodate not only the current Virginia-class fleet but also future platforms under the U.S. Navy’s next-generation SSN(X) program.
With these changes, the U.S. Navy expects a significant increase in forward strike capacity in the Pacific by the end of the decade. Navy officials have emphasized the importance of proximity, noting that Hawaii’s location reduces transit time to potential operational zones by several days compared to ships based in San Diego.
Implications for regional posture
By 2030, the U.S. Navy expects to operate five hypersonic warships and submarines from Pearl Harbor. The relocation of these assets reflects a clear shift in strategic planning, aimed at strengthening deterrence in the Indo-Pacific through faster deployment and enhanced strike survivability.
The relaunch of USS Zumwalt represents not only a technical milestone but also a shift in how the U.S. Navy intends to use its most advanced ships. Once regarded as a conceptual vessel, Zumwalt is now being redefined as a forward strike platform tasked with missions requiring precision, speed, and reach beyond the fleet’s current capabilities.
As technology advances, questions remain about missile integration timelines, targeting capabilities, and survivability standards. Testing and system refinement are ongoing, and further upgrades may follow as part of the evolving architecture of CPS, N1 writes.
