Summary
A U.S. warship, the USS Zumwalt, has completed sea trials after being equipped with hypersonic missiles, which can travel over five times the speed of sound. This upgrade aims to enhance U.S. naval capabilities amid global competition, especially as China and Russia also develop similar missile technology.
Key Facts
- The USS Zumwalt is one of three Zumwalt-class stealth destroyers in the U.S. Navy.
- The ship's modernization allows it to launch hypersonic missiles known as Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS).
- The missiles can travel more than five times the speed of sound and are difficult to track or intercept.
- China and Russia are also developing hypersonic weapons, increasing global military competition.
- The USS Zumwalt replaced its guns with missile tubes, capable of carrying 12 CPS missiles.
- The ship also has an 80-cell vertical launch system for non-hypersonic missiles.
- The Zumwalt-class ships will change home ports to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii by mid-2028.
- Other ships in the class, USS Lyndon B. Johnson and USS Michael Monsoor, are also set to receive hypersonic upgrades.
