US Navy's Latest Warship Completes Sea Trials After Refurbishment Amid Criticism Over Trump's Description
The USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), a US Navy warship that President Donald Trump previously described as "ugly," has completed its sea trials following an extensive modernization process. The ship, which is part of the Zumwalt-class destroyer fleet, underwent significant upgrades, including the replacement of its primary weapon system.
According to Ingalls Shipbuilding, the manufacturer of the USS Zumwalt, completing this complex modernization work marks a pivotal milestone in advancing the US Navy's first warship with hypersonic capabilities. The upgrade has set a precedent for the future development of similar systems on other Zumwalt-class vessels.
The third ship in the class, the USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001), is expected to receive the upgraded system during a future availability period. In contrast, the second USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002) is currently undergoing the installation of the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) weapon system at the shipyard.
Despite its advanced technology and capabilities, including state-of-the-art electric propulsion systems and stealth designs, the Zumwalt-class destroyer program has faced significant challenges, including cost overruns and technical issues. The ships' initial planned fleet size was reduced from 32 vessels to just three due to these issues.
Trump's Criticism of the Warship
The President's previous description of the USS Zumwalt as "ugly" highlighted concerns about the warship's design and capabilities. Trump stated that the ship's stealth features were not effective, arguing that an "ugly ship is not necessary in order to say you're stealth."
However, it remains unclear whether Trump's opinion on the vessel has changed following its modernization and completion of sea trials.
New Battleships on the Horizon
In December, President Trump announced plans to build a new class of battleships. However, with the US Navy struggling to perfect existing designs, concerns have been raised about whether these new ships will fare any better.
One thing is certain: only time will tell if the USS Zumwalt and future warships will meet the expectations of those who designed them and those who fund their development.
The USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), a US Navy warship that President Donald Trump previously described as "ugly," has completed its sea trials following an extensive modernization process. The ship, which is part of the Zumwalt-class destroyer fleet, underwent significant upgrades, including the replacement of its primary weapon system.
According to Ingalls Shipbuilding, the manufacturer of the USS Zumwalt, completing this complex modernization work marks a pivotal milestone in advancing the US Navy's first warship with hypersonic capabilities. The upgrade has set a precedent for the future development of similar systems on other Zumwalt-class vessels.
The third ship in the class, the USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001), is expected to receive the upgraded system during a future availability period. In contrast, the second USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002) is currently undergoing the installation of the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) weapon system at the shipyard.
Despite its advanced technology and capabilities, including state-of-the-art electric propulsion systems and stealth designs, the Zumwalt-class destroyer program has faced significant challenges, including cost overruns and technical issues. The ships' initial planned fleet size was reduced from 32 vessels to just three due to these issues.
Trump's Criticism of the Warship
The President's previous description of the USS Zumwalt as "ugly" highlighted concerns about the warship's design and capabilities. Trump stated that the ship's stealth features were not effective, arguing that an "ugly ship is not necessary in order to say you're stealth."
However, it remains unclear whether Trump's opinion on the vessel has changed following its modernization and completion of sea trials.
New Battleships on the Horizon
In December, President Trump announced plans to build a new class of battleships. However, with the US Navy struggling to perfect existing designs, concerns have been raised about whether these new ships will fare any better.
One thing is certain: only time will tell if the USS Zumwalt and future warships will meet the expectations of those who designed them and those who fund their development.
, feels like a rollercoaster ride to me. First, there was all this fuss about Trump calling it ugly 
, which already raised some eyebrows. Then you had these concerns about cost overruns and technical issues, which is totally understandable given how complex modern warships are 
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. And now that it's all done, there's this hype around hypersonic capabilities 
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. I mean, who describes a cutting-edge warship as ugly? You've gotta wonder if that was more about politicking than actual criticism 
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. And then there's this new battleship class on the horizon – we can only wait and see if they learn from the Zumwalt's experience 
And don't even get me started on the Trump thing - I mean, what's with the "ugly" comment? Was he just trying to stir up controversy or something? 
Still, I wonder if it's worth all the hype 
. I mean, can you believe it took so long for Trump to give his two cents on the ship? He called it "ugly" back in the day... I guess he was right 
. But seriously, who doesn't love a good transformation story? From being dubbed "ugly" to becoming one of the most advanced warships out there 
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. I just hope that future battleships will learn from the Zumwalt-class' mistakes 
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... it's like, no matter how much money & effort goes into makin a ship, ppl are gonna have opinions about its design 
... and from what i've read, the USS Zumwalt seems like it's got some serious tech under its hood 
. The fact that they were able to upgrade those systems and make it more stealthy is pretty cool 
. But still, gotta wonder if Trump's opinion was just a distraction from the real issues 
. And on another note, new battleships? That's like, next level 
I'm low-key impressed with how far that US Navy's Zumwalt-class destroyer program has come 
! They've been through some tough times, but it's dope to see those hypersonic capabilities coming together 
but seriously, 32 ships planned to sea and now its reduced to 3? thats some shady budgeting going on 
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. I just hope that future leaders will focus more on what really matters: keeping our country safe and our sailors trained and ready for action 
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it's like, can't we just focus on getting the job done? The fact that they're moving forward with new battleship designs is kinda cool tho 
i get why they'd wanna upgrade it to make it more effective. cost overruns and technical issues are no joke tho 
. Still, I guess only time will tell if these new battleships are gonna live up to expectations 
and then there's this whole thing about cost overruns and technical issues... i feel like some people were already skeptical about this program before trump spoke up 
.
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Trump's comments on the USS Zumwalt were super unfair btw, I mean come on, the ship has undergone major upgrades now & still managed to perform well in sea trials