The U.S. Navy has revealed its plans for an ambitious replacement for the guided-missile destroyer, DDG(X), that would transform naval warfare with the newest additions to the arsenal: hypersonic missiles and high-power laser weapons. This next-generation type of warship would be required to replace the aging Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which have formed the backbone of the Navy’s surface fleet for over three decades now.
The DDG(X) is the Navy’s first major warship development in over 20 years. It is targeted to provide such power as will be needed to run directed energy weapons of the new generation and high-power sensors. “Requirements include more missile capability, sensor growth, and directed energy weapons to address evolving 21st-century threats,” said Katherine Connelly, deputy program manager.
This new destroyer will incorporate the combat system developed for the Flight III Arleigh Burkes, including the SPY-6 air search radar and the Baseline 10 Aegis combat system. It will go into a new hull that has been designed to be stretched for future technological advancements. “Flight III is going to be in the fleet through the 2060s, but the threat will continue to evolve,” Connelly noted. “We need a platform that can accommodate those new technologies.”
Perhaps the biggest change in DDG(X) is that of its propulsion system. The conventional gas-turbine propulsion is to be replaced by an Integrated Power System, similar to that used in the Zumwalt-class destroyers, which could provide such a high volume of power to operate advanced sensors and weapons installed, with lasers reaching up to 600 kilowatts to defend hostile guided missiles.
The DDG(X) will also pack a 32-cell Mk-41 Vertical Launch System, which can be replaced by 12 larger missile cells to carry the Pentagon’s emerging hypersonic weapons. It could also grow an SPY-6 air search radar from a 14-foot aperture to an 18-foot aperture, which would serve to increase the sensor’s sensitivity.
The Navy is looking for a ship to travel 50 percent farther and to be on station 120 percent longer than the DDG-51, all while guzzling 25 percent less fuel. It would ease the pressure on the Navy’s combat logistics fleet, providing better seakeeping and Arctic operations.
As stated by Chief of the Surface Warfare Division, Rear Adm. Fred Pyle, DDG(X) would represent a technological advantage over any possible adversary. “DDG(X) will bring us the opportunity to use larger missile launchers, higher power lasers, and long-range strike hypersonic weapons,” Pyle said. “It’s going to bring us the opportunity to use sensor growth as we go into the future.”
The Navy says construction of the DDG(X) is planned to begin in FY 2032, with a three-year overlap between the start of construction on the new destroyers and the current Flight III Arleigh Burkes. This would allow for a smooth transition at the shipbuilding industry and avoid any production gaps.
Independent estimates for the DDG(X) range from $2.3 billion to $3.4 billion per ship, depending on how much capability the eventual design incorporates. The Navy is working with the defense industry to lock in the basic design and ensure the platform will be producible and affordable.
As the Navy further develops DDG(X), it is firmly committed to bringing in mature technologies while leaving room for future growth. This new destroyer has been designed to be at the core of the Navy’s future fleet, with enhanced capability to confidently operate in increasingly contested environments, maintaining U.S. Navy superiority on the high seas.