Posted on Sep 14, 2016
Sleek Zumwalt arrives in Norfolk on way to commissioning | NavyTimes
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NORFOLK, Va. -- The Navy’s newest and sleekest-looking destroyer pulled into Naval Station Norfolk here this morning, making an historic first transit into the Chesapeake Bay and through the Hampton Roads waterways to the Norfolk Naval Base at about 9 am EST.
Built in Bath, Maine, the first of a three-ship class of stealthy warships, the Zumwalt is slated to be commissioned in Baltimore on Oct. 15 and will ultimately leave the East Coast for its homeport of San Diego, once officially in the fleet.
The Navy formally took possession of the ship in May and it left Bath last Wednesday, spending a few days in Newport, Rhode Island, before arriving in Norfolk today.
“She’ll be here for a few weeks as she does some tests and prepares materially for commissioning next month in Baltimore,” said Lt. Cmdr. Myers Vasquez, spokesman for Naval Surface Forces, Atlantic.
Vasquez said the Navy is planning some media events as well as educational events promoting science, math and technology among local high school students while the ship is here.
Originally planning a 30-ship class of warships, the Navy cut that to just three, all of which will showcase new technologies slated for future classes of ships. With crews of around 200, they are considered destroyers more on a scale of today’s cruisers.
The ship has been under construction since 2008, when the contract for it was let by the Navy.
Its keel was laid in November 2011 and the ship was launched in October 2013.
The ship first went to sea last December and again in March, before passing acceptance trials in April.
Still, Zumwalt isn’t actually completed as the combat systems and the arrays of radars, sensors and weapons that make it up will won’t be completed until sometime in 2017.
Only after successfully completing its combat systems can the ship be slated for deployment and begin formal work-ups.
Built in Bath, Maine, the first of a three-ship class of stealthy warships, the Zumwalt is slated to be commissioned in Baltimore on Oct. 15 and will ultimately leave the East Coast for its homeport of San Diego, once officially in the fleet.
The Navy formally took possession of the ship in May and it left Bath last Wednesday, spending a few days in Newport, Rhode Island, before arriving in Norfolk today.
“She’ll be here for a few weeks as she does some tests and prepares materially for commissioning next month in Baltimore,” said Lt. Cmdr. Myers Vasquez, spokesman for Naval Surface Forces, Atlantic.
Vasquez said the Navy is planning some media events as well as educational events promoting science, math and technology among local high school students while the ship is here.
Originally planning a 30-ship class of warships, the Navy cut that to just three, all of which will showcase new technologies slated for future classes of ships. With crews of around 200, they are considered destroyers more on a scale of today’s cruisers.
The ship has been under construction since 2008, when the contract for it was let by the Navy.
Its keel was laid in November 2011 and the ship was launched in October 2013.
The ship first went to sea last December and again in March, before passing acceptance trials in April.
Still, Zumwalt isn’t actually completed as the combat systems and the arrays of radars, sensors and weapons that make it up will won’t be completed until sometime in 2017.
Only after successfully completing its combat systems can the ship be slated for deployment and begin formal work-ups.
Sleek Zumwalt arrives in Norfolk on way to commissioning | NavyTimes
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Edited 8 y ago
Posted 8 y ago
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Big deal SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL i was on it for the full 90 yards Saturday while it was at Naval Station Newport. Here she is at dock prior to me being piped aboard!
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SN Greg Wright
SFC William Farrell - Hah you'd be amazed at commercial ships, then, SFC. Super-tankers 3, 4 times the size of carriers typically have crews of 25-30. Of course, they're not fighting anyone.
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SFC William Farrell
LCDR (Join to see) - If I were in the Navy Commander, they would have piped me off to bow or the stern! But if was nice to feel like I was in the Navy for an hour! I was a Navy civilian employee for four and a half years! Was going to go in the Navy until my twin brother joined the Army; I was right behind him.
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SFC William Farrell
SN Greg Wright - They are amazing Greg to say the least. I love touring ships whenever I can. Thanks.
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Suspended Profile
LCDR (Join to see) - They have? That's why four hulls are out of deployment rotation and there is a fleet wide LCS Stand Down?
LCDR (Join to see)
It is not uncommon for the Navy to call for a one-day stand down to address widespread issues. The leadership obviously is concerned that the crew is operating these ships correctly. All major weapon systems and platform have issues in the procurement stage. that is why the Ford is so far behind and over budget, the F-35 issues, the Zumwalt etc... In the end, we will overcome the issues as we always have and field the best technology in the world. That is what makes us such a great Navy, Military, and Country.
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Thanks for letting us know that the USS Zumwalt arrived in your neighborhood on way to its commissioning SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
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