BLUF
The US Navy intends to use a Zumwalt Class Destroyer, the USS Michael Mansoor to provide command and control for a number of remotely controlled ships and drones.Summary
The USS Michael Mansoor * is a stealth destroyer with the radar signature of a small fishing boat. Worth noting that the USN experimented with a low-profile steam-powered ship, the USS Monitor (ironclad), during the US Civil War. The USS Michael Mansoor is being used to test the interface between crewed and uncrewed ships and aircraft. The Zumwalt Class vessel can be used as follows:
- Stealthy surveillance with the ability to strike at the right time.
- To control a variety of remotely crewed drones and ships.
The US is developing other weapon systems that could be controlled by the USS Michael Mansoor as follows:
- The Super Swarm project (upwards of one million drones at once).
- Anti-submarine Sea Hunter and Sea Hawk robotic Medium Displacement Unmanned Surface Vessels. MQ-8B Fire Scout autonomous surveillance helicopter.
- MQ-9 Sea Guardian (Navy's version of our MQ-9B Sky Guardian) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.
The Zumwalt class were initially designed to bombard coastlines. However, the USN is considering increasing the ship's capability by arming it with hypersonic weapons.
*Named after Navy SEAL Michael Mansoor, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honour for saving the lives of three other SEALS.
References
- Mar 2021 Defense News What should become of the Zumwalt class? The US Navy has some big ideas.
- Mar 2021 Business Insider The US Navy put stealth destroyer Zumwalt to the test by sailing it into a very rough storm with waves as high as 20 feet
- Mar 2021 Defense News The stealth destroyer Zumwalt sails through rough seas testingv
- Mar 2021 National Interest Why Nothing Can Stop U.S. Navy’s Stealth Zumwalt Destroyer
- Mar 2021 Pop Mechanics The Navy Wants to Put Lasers on Zumwalt Destroyers
