Zumwalt-class hypersonic missile plan progresses with demonstration set for 2027
USS Zumwalt will undergo conversion starting mid-2026. (Photo: USN)
The US Navy’s Zumwalt-class destroyer is a stealth ship originally designed to consist of a fleet of 32 but has been cut back to three. Conceived for a land-attack role, it is now being fitted with a hypersonic missile capability.
The US Navy (USN) is changing the primary mission of its DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer, by placing a Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missile capability on one of its ships for the first time. It is a significant shift for the destroyer which was originally conceived as being a land attack vessel only.
This capability is scheduled to be demonstrated on the lead ship in 2027, according to a recent report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), with modernisation for the capability to be started in mid-2026.
The CPS is a conventional, boost-glide hypersonic weapon system, and the testing
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