Zumwalt's Hypersonic Reboot Adds Punch But Not Parity With China

The lead ship and namesake of the class, USS Zumwalt, was commissioned in 2016 as a stealthy shore bombardment platform. The class was intended to get close to enemy shores and destroy shore defenses and inland targets with its two 155-millimeter AGS, providing naval gunfire support.

Rising costs and China's improving anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities made the Zumwalt-class in its previous configuration unfeasible. With only three ships built, the cost of the Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLRAP) for the AGS ballooned to at least USD 800,000 per round, making it uneconomical.

Further, China's development of the DF-21 and DF-26 anti-ship ballistic missiles with ranges of 2,150 and 4,000 kilometers, respectively, increasingly threatens surface combatants operating close to contested coastlines.

However, the rebuilt Zumwalt-class, with CPS missiles having a 2,776-kilometer range and stealth features, could be integrated into a three-layer US concept of operations in the event of a US-China conflict over Taiwan.

Inside forces are designated to operate within China's A2/AD zone within the First Island Chain, spanning Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines. These forces consist of stealthy, numerous, dispersed and mobile assets that could survive an initial Chinese attack, operate within denied zones and retaliate.

They include nuclear attack submarines (SSNs), nuclear guided-missile submarines (SSGNs), 5th-generation stealth fighters, mobile missile launchers, drone swarms, and special operations forces.

Middle forces operate just outside China's A2/AD zone, providing long-range precision strikes and supporting inside forces. These forces include surface action groups (SAGs) and 4th-generation fighters loaded with standoff munitions.

Zumwalt-class destroyers could be employed as part of a middle force, supplementing the tactical precision strike capabilities of the inside force SSGNs and middle force guided-missile destroyers (DDGs) with conventional strikes against strategic targets deep in mainland China, such as command centers, logistics hubs, and staging areas, adding a layer of conventional deterrence while keeping a possible conflict below the nuclear threshold.

Outside forces focus on sortie generation, can be held as a strategic reserve, and provide nuclear deterrence. These forces include carrier strike groups (CSGs) to sustain air operations in the Taiwan Strait, amphibious ready groups (ARGs) for possible island defense operations in the Miyako Strait and the Bashi Channel, and to retake Taiwan if its defense falters. Additionally, nuclear-capable strategic bombers and nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) as a backstop to conventional operations.

The revival of the Zumwalt-class comes as China is building more of its Type 055 cruisers – among the largest and most heavily armed surface combatants in East Asia, excluding aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships.

While China classifies its Type 055 as a destroyer, the US classifies the type as a cruiser due to its size, armament, and role. Similarly, the Zumwalt class is classified as a destroyer, despite being larger than any US destroyer or cruiser.

In terms of hull numbers, China has eight Type 055 cruisers, versus just three Zumwalt-class destroyers. While both ships are designed to carry hypersonic weapons, China has tested and equipped its Type 055 with the YJ-21 hypersonic missile, with a range of 1,000 to 1,500 kilometers – far less than the 2,776-kilometer range of the US CPS missile, which has yet to enter service.

However, that difference in range could be explained by differences in doctrine – China aims to use the YJ-21 as a“carrier killer” weapon for its SAGs, with longer-range ship-killing capabilities provided by land-based missiles such as the DF-21 and DF-26. In contrast, the CPS is intended for conventional strikes against strategic targets deep in mainland China.