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March 28, 2024

U.S. Navy commissions world’s largest battleship

By SCOTT ZHENG | November 3, 2016

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GENERAL DYNAMICS BATH IRON WORKS /CC-BY-2.0 The USS Zumwalt was commissioned in Baltimore and is making its way to San Diego.

The United States Navy’s latest addition to its battleship fleet, the USS Zumwalt, is the largest and most technologically advanced warship. The vessel was commissioned, or officially placed into active service in Baltimore on Oct. 15.

The ship, named after Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr., former Chief of Naval Operations from 1970 to 1974, features the latest electric propulsion system, a “tumblehome” stealth design that makes the ship 50 times stealthier than the current fleet of ships and some next-generation weapons technology.

Part of the next-gen technology includes the power and capability to fire railguns, which are weapons that fire bullets with the assistance of an electromagnetic field that propels the bullets forward at incredible speeds.

The electric charges on either side of the barrel create a magnetic field that cause the bullets to accelerate the longer they travel down the barrel, instead of slowing down like traditional bullets in guns.

This technology had been a matter of theoretical interest long before it was actualized in the Zumwalt. Hopkins senior Richard Chen participated in a high school research project in 2012 where he wrote a paper and accurately predicted the plausibility of railgun technologies along with two of his Montgomery Blair High School classmates.

“I was doing a lot of research into railguns, and the first thing I saw that it could be used for were nuclear missile deterrents. I proceeded to look into nuclear-powered destroyers that could power these weapons, and one of these ships was the Zumwalt,” Chen said.

Chen’s paper included the exact make of the ship, the power output of the ship and the maximum speed that the railgun bullets could travel, all of which proved to be correct.

“At the time [in 2012], the Zumwalt had grant funding that could complete the project, but we were still unsure whether or not the final project would actually be made to have the capability of firing a railgun, so it was really cool to see that my predictions came true,” Chen said.

Current technology allows for the maximum speed of a bullet coming out of the barrel at more than a mile per second.

However, the current railgun model is still in development, so it may be a few more years before the ship can be deployed with this weapon in its arsenal.

“This ship is an example of a larger initiative to increase operational stability and give the U.S. a strategic advantage. Our Navy and our Marine Corps, uniquely, provide presence — around the globe, around the clock — ensuring stability, reassuring allies, deterring adversaries and providing the nation’s leaders with option in times of crisis,” Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy, said according to a press release.

The commissioning of the battleship this month was the end of a nearly five-year long project that cost more than $3.5 billion.

“Today’s ceremony marked the culmination of over three years of dedication and hard work by some of the finest sailors I have had the pleasure to lead. The only thing more impressive than the capabilities of the ship are the capabilities of its fine crew,” Captain James A. Kirk, commanding officer of the USS Zumwalt, said accordin to the press release.

After the commissioning of the USS Zumwalt, the battleship began a three-month long voyage to its homeport in San Diego. The ship is scheduled to make several stops at ports along the way. As of Oct. 30, the battleship made its fifth stop at Mayport, Fla.

“We arrived in Mayport after a highly successful commissioning week in Baltimore. The crew has performed superbly through a period of at-sea operations and testing, and will not get a chance to experience the hospitality and professionalism of Mayport Naval Station and the surrounding community,” Kirk said.

The ship also made previous stops in Newport, R.I. and Norfolk, Va. It is scheduled to fully integrate into the naval fleet in 2018.


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