A U.S. Destroyer In Search Of A Mission

USS Michael Monsoor (YouTube)

Press Herald: Navy struggles to find a place for Bath-built Zumwalt stealth destroyers

It wanted something that could operate close to shore, attacking land targets and providing support for ground troops. Then came the conflict in landlocked Afghanistan.

BRUNSWICK — To those who kept a close eye on the development of the Navy’s futuristic, next-generation destroyers, the Zumwalt-class program has been a disappointment to put it mildly.

In the early 2000s, the Navy proposed building 32 highly advanced stealth destroyers at Bath Iron Works, giving the shipyard’s workforce hope for years of work to come. But as the years wore on, the number of ships ordered was slashed. And then slashed again. Ultimately, the Navy ordered just three ships – the second of which the Navy recently commissioned in San Diego.

With the Zumwalts now nearing the end of their brief production line, the Navy is tasked with incorporating them into its strategy – a difficult task given that the Zumwalts were built for a mission the Navy no longer views as a priority.

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WNU Editor: It is hard to believe that in the early 2000s the U.S. Navy proposed building 32 of these highly advanced stealth destroyers.

from War News Updates http://bit.ly/2RyLQov