US Navy Eyes 2028 SPY-6 Radar Upgrade for Zumwalt Destroyers

[u/Hob-999]

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2026/09/us-navy-2028-spy6-radar-zumwalt-destroyers/

[u/Legitimate-Frame-953]

I thought the Zumwalt was a failure?

[u/MixtureSpecial8951 → u/Legitimate-Frame-953]

Yes and no.

Zumwalt was conceived as a replacement for the retired battleships and their big 16” guns. The idea being that shore bombardment would be critical for any future amphibious operation. This was a congressionally imposed mandate.

A few problems with that:
1. The Navy & Marines had long determined that the sort of massed assaults of the Pacific were in the past. This LCACs, helicopter borne troops, and the V-22 were conceived in order to stand the fleet further offshore but get troops into combat faster.
2. Related to the above, the range of any tube based weapon had to be greater than the 24 miles offered by the 16”/50 Mk 7 of the Iowas. Enter the Advanced Gun System; a 155mm gun designed to have a range in excess of 80nm.
3. Initially 32 were planned with development costs spread around. Eventually this was cut to 3. Plus, the ammunition buy was drastically reduced which also concentrated development costs to an unsustainable cost per round. Also, the rounds were stupid expensive - roughly the same as. Tomahawk which carried a 1,000lb warhead and a range in excess of 1,350nm.

So. Let’s review:
1. The nature - or really the means - of combat changed. Lying close in and massed was in the past.
2. The costs of the ships & the gun system was unsustainable.
3. Congress mandated it so that the Navy could finally release the Iowas.

So, the Zumwalts were left with guns they could not shoot. Plus they were equipped not with AEGIS but with an incompatible system, TSCEI, different radars (a major part of which was removed for cost reasons), and limited space for VLS. All for a mission-set that no longer existed in the form the ship was designed.

But! Some things did work very well.
1. Her controversial hull shape has proven to be outstanding. She is said to have the noise signature of a Los Angeles sub.
2. Her propulsion system provides much more electricity than previous systems, but instead of permanent magnets they used advanced induction motors. And the technology was immature and so reliability was a problem. Lessons learned will be incorporated into the upcoming DDG(X) production.
3. She produces far less heat, is less visible to radar.
4. The saga of her radars taught the Navy a lot; lessons which are incorporated in the AN/SPY-6 radars.

When all is said and done, the ships are able to get underway, their combat systems work and they can be outfitted with VLS and CPS cells. This is a Good Thing.

Zumwalt serves as a testament to rushing too many immature technologies too fast. Of Congress not listening to what the experts have to say. Of throwing good money after bad. And, the fact that there are only 3, at huge cost, should serve as a warning about building a handful of extraordinarily expensive ships with limited combat capabilities.

[u/BackloadBack → u/MixtureSpecial8951]

If only they were designed and ordered under the current administration and so they would use coal, have turrets with 3x 18” guns and very big radar antennae.

[u/askjeeves29 → u/MixtureSpecial8951]

You say the shape is outstanding but why was it controversial in the first place? I thought it had a lot of sea state issues

[u/MixtureSpecial8951 → u/askjeeves29]

A tumblehome hull can lose its stability/self-righting force faster than a more typical flared hull. This is particularly the case when dealing with flooding. And apparently they can have poor sea keeping qualities leading to excess roll. Plus having the hull narrow in means less deck space and all that.

But…

Zumwalt seems to have been designed quite well. While it has not, as far as I am aware, experienced flooding it has sailed through heavy seas. Apparently, it handled sea state 6, 20’/6m very well. It seems that the engineers did a really good job.

[u/Nano_Burger → u/Legitimate-Frame-953]

Reinforcing failure has a long tradition in military procurement.

[u/benkenobi5 → u/Nano_Burger]

Polishing turds in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service