HII completes builder’s sea trials for USS Zumwalt

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding announced it has completed builder’s sea trials for the guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt, marking a key milestone in the ship’s return to service following an extensive modernization period.

According to the company, Ingalls and the U.S. Navy conducted a comprehensive series of at-sea tests to evaluate ship systems and overall performance after the installation of new combat capabilities. The trials followed a major availability that converted Zumwalt into the Navy’s first platform configured to carry the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic weapon system.

Zumwalt, the lead ship of the three-vessel Zumwalt-class, arrived at Ingalls’ Pascagoula, Miss., shipyard in August 2023. After arrival, the destroyer was placed on land to allow shipyard crews to complete significant structural and systems work. That effort included integrating the CPS system and removing the ship’s original twin 155-mm Advanced Gun Systems, which were replaced with new missile tubes. The ship was undocked in December 2024 and completed final preparations ahead of sea trials.

Ingalls officials said the modernization work establishes a baseline for similar upgrades planned across the Zumwalt class. Sister ship USS Lyndon B. Johnson is currently undergoing CPS integration at Ingalls, while USS Michael Monsoor is scheduled to receive the system during a future availability.

The Zumwalt-class destroyers are equipped with an integrated electric propulsion system and feature a distinctive tumblehome hull form designed to reduce radar signature. Once fully upgraded, the ships are expected to support a range of missions, including deterrence, power projection, sea control, and command-and-control operations, as the Navy adapts the class to evolving operational requirements.