HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding has completed builder’s sea trials for the USS Zumwalt, marking a major step in modernizing the navy’s first Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) destroyer.
The trials tested the ship following extensive upgrades, including integration of the CPS weapon system and replacement of the original 155mm Advanced Gun Systems with new missile tubes.
Brian Blanchette, president of Ingalls Shipbuilding, highlighted the milestone as a demonstration of collaboration between the navy and industry, emphasizing the ship’s role as the “first warship with hypersonic capabilities.”
The USS Zumwalt underwent modernization at the Pascagoula, Mississippi, shipyard starting August 2023, moving onto land for major technology upgrades before being undocked in December 2024 for sea trials and operational readiness preparations.
It now features advanced electric propulsion, a wave-piercing tumblehome hull, stealth design, and next-generation warfighting systems.
Ingalls-US Navy Partnership
Ingalls has been a key partner for the navy’s surface combatant programs in recent years.
The USS Lyndon B. Johnson is currently receiving CPS weapon integration at Ingalls, while the USS Michael Monsoor is scheduled for a similar upgrade, extending the modernization across the Zumwalt-class fleet.
The shipyard also delivered the USS Fort Lauderdale in 2022 and USS Richard M. McCool Jr. in 2024, both part of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock program.
In 2024, Ingalls launched the USS Harrisburg, continuing the navy’s expansion of amphibious capabilities.
