The USS Lyndon B. Johnson, the third and final Zumwalt-class destroyer, seen in drydock in Bath, Maine, in December 2018. The US Navy planned to build 32 of the warships, but cut the order to three, making their weapons unaffordable. (US Navy/Kristin S Mason)

This ‘Stealth Destroyer’ Just Cost the US Navy Another $99 Million

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A nearly $100 million contract modification may seem like a great deal of money—but the total cost of the Zumwalt program is now in the tens of billions.

The United States Navy has awarded a new $99 million contract modification to HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division to support the sea trials for the service’s third Zumwalt-class stealth destroyer, the USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002). The Pascagoula, Mississippi-based Ingalls Shipbuilding has overseen the modifications of the warships that have included installation, testing, and major modernization work that was required for the integration of the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missile system.

“This award reflects the Navy’s continued confidence in the Ingalls team to execute the critical system test and sea trials work essential to the Navy’s phased delivery approach,” said Brian Blanchette, president of Ingalls Shipbuilding. “Our shipbuilders are proud to help deliver DDG 1002 and prepare her for future fleet operations.”

DDG-1002 arrived at the shipyard in January 2022, after completing base construction at Bath Iron Works in Maine. Unlike its sister ships, the USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) and USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001)—both of which were commissioned into service before their weapons suites were fully functional, requiring costly and disruptive ongoing work—the US Navy decided to delay the official commissioning of the USS Lyndon B. Johnson until all its........

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