The first-in-class destroyer USS Zumwalt was scheduled to leave her home port of San Diego last week and transit to Ingalls Shipbuilding, where her sp.
Zumwalt makes an about-face back to San Diego for maintenance navytimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from navytimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
On July 12, an explosion rocked the USS Bonhomme Richard, touching off a fire that raged for four days, gutting the amphibious assault ship. It was a catastrophe, but one the Navy may be able to turn to its advantage. Replacing the ship would cost the Navy billions. But for less money, it could repurpose the Bonhomme Richard, making it an operational testbed for cutting-edge unmanned, sea-based weapons systems. This would help the Navy address concerns about unmanned systems and improve the prospect of growing the fleet in both size and lethality more rapidly.