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US' new stealth destroyer may finally have affordable ammo
To put it mildly, the US screwed up when it decided to carry on with its Zumwalt-class stealth destroyers when they depended on smart ammo the Navy couldn't afford. However, it might have a clever workaround. Officials speaking to USNI News say the Navy is looking at Raytheon's Excalibur, a GPS-guided artillery round, as a substitute for the custom LRLAP (Long Range Land Attack Projectile) shells the Zumwalt's main guns were designed to use. Excalibur has roughly half the range at about 30 miles, but it costs much less -- about a quarter of the $800,000-plus cost per round of LRLAP. It can also hit moving targets where LRLAP couldn't.
The Navy's $4 billion stealth destroyer has malfunctioned again
The US Navy hasn't exactly been having the best of luck with its pricey new ship. Only weeks after it was officially commissioned the USS Zumwalt, the Navy's new $4.4 billion destroyer has already been put out of action.
The USS Zumwalt can't afford its own $800,000-per-round ammo
The USS Zumwalt, America's newest stealth destroyer packs some impressive firepower but there's just one problem: the US Navy can't afford the ammunition for the vessel's 155-millimeter Advanced Gun Systems. These weapons are designed to fire a GPS-guided shell, dubbed the Long Range Land Attack Projectile, up to 60 miles where it strikes with unprecedented accuracy. What's more, the Zumwalt can lob up to ten of these shells every minute. But while the LRLAPs are quite lethal, they're also ludicrously expensive at $800,000 a pop.
Stealth on the Navy's newest destroyers might be too good
America's new Zumwalt-class destroyers have been built with strong stealth capabilities, however that feature has caused a few unforeseen issues, according to a new report from Military.com. During sea trials last month, the Navy discovered that the ship's reduced radar signature was almost too effective and might require onboard radar reflectors when not in theater.
