2020 will always be remembered as a forgotten year, as days turn to months due to national lockdowns, many will be happy to turn the calendar over to 2021.
However, 2020 has also been a year of innovation, with the roll out of 5G networks, the release of next gen consoles, and even the release of highly-anticipated Cyberpunk 2077.
In addition to these “minor” developments, the US navy finally received its next-generation guided-missile stealth destroyer, the USS Zumwalt, back in April.
USS Zumwalt Armament
Last week, USNI (United States Naval Institute) said the destroyer conducted the MK 57 Vertical Launching System’s first live test, firing a Standard Missile-2. The missile is the cornerstone of the destroyer’s layered defense, with an approximate range of 90 nautical miles (!!!).
The addition of the USS Zumwalt adds to an already world-class Naval fleet for the United States, one which has been increasingly deployed in the South China Sea as aggression towards Taiwan (and others) reaches all-time highs.
Capt. Matt Schroeder, the program manager for the Zumwalt, said in a statement that “the successful test not only demonstrates the ship’s capability to fire missiles and conduct self-defense, it is also a significant step toward more advanced combat system testing and operations for our Navy’s most technically innovative warship.”
There was some recent talk that the Zumwalt could be outfitted with hypersonic missiles, something which Russia and China have already added to their arsenal.
The vessel is expected to join the US Pacific fleet, where it could soon be sent to help stem aggression from the Chinese in the South China Sea.
Works Cited:
https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/watch-us-navy-stealth-destroyer-conduct-first-missile-test
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-07-01/us-navy-wants-mount-hypersonic-missile-combat-ships