US Navy wants to equip stealth destroyers USS Zumwalt and Virginia submarines with hypersonic LRHW missiles by 2029

The U.S. Navy is optimistic about the future of hypersonic weapons. The service wants to equip destroyers and submarines with hypersonic missiles.

Here's What We Know

The Pentagon intends to have a hypersonic weapon in 2023, which is being developed under the Long-Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) program. It is a long-range missile, which the U.S. ground forces will be the first to get.

As for the Navy, the first candidate for hypersonic missile is the stealth destroyer USS Zumwalt. The next in line is the Virginia submarine. But even if all goes according to plan, they will be equipped with hypersonic weapons at four-year intervals.

The USS Zumwalt will get the missile in 2025, which is consistent with the plan announced in 2021. The submarine will get a hypersonic missile in 2029, not 2028 as planned. This is due to the delay in the delivery of the submarine.

The Navy will have to solve one more issue. This lies in whether or not they will be able to integrate the new combat system, which will be available from 2023, into the existing combat systems of ships and submarines.

Source: Defense News