PASCAGOULA, Mississippi — May 27, 2026 : The U.S. Navy is moving forward with a major modernization program for its three Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyers, integrating Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missiles while significantly increasing the ships’ operational range and endurance to support prolonged deployments in the Indo-Pacific region.
According to recently released modernization documents, the upgrades are intended to improve the stealth destroyers’ ability to remain deployed for extended periods without requiring frequent logistical support, a capability viewed as increasingly important amid the long distances and operational challenges of the Pacific theater.
A key component of the modernization effort is a “Fuel Endurance and Range” modification planned for USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001). Under the plan, engineers will convert several existing saltwater ballast tanks into fuel storage tanks to increase onboard fuel oil capacity. Additional changes to the ships’ underway replenishment systems will also allow Zumwalt-class destroyers to take on larger volumes of fuel during resupply operations at sea.
The increase in fuel capacity is expected to enable the Navy’s first sea-based hypersonic strike platforms to remain on station for longer periods and conduct extended deterrence patrols without frequent replenishment. Naval planners consider the enhancement necessary to sustain operations across the Indo-Pacific, where long transit distances, dispersed support infrastructure and limited logistics access continue to shape operational planning.
“The Zumwalt class, with its advanced stealth design and integration of the Conventional Prompt Strike weapons system, will be the Navy’s premier offensive surface combatant, providing sea-based precision capabilities that can effectively engage strategic targets with long-range fires,” said Capt. Clint Lawler, Program Manager for the Zumwalt-class Destroyer program office, during a presentation at the 2025 Surface Navy Association symposium.
Hypersonic Missile Integration
As part of the modernization effort, the Navy is removing both of the destroyers’ original 155 mm Advanced Gun System (AGS) turrets to make room for the new hypersonic weapons infrastructure.
The forward gun position will be replaced with a Large Missile Vertical Launching System containing four Advanced Payload Modules. Each module will carry three CPS hypersonic missiles, giving every Zumwalt-class destroyer a total capacity of 12 hypersonic weapons. According to Naval Sea Systems Command, the second AGS mount will remain empty for unspecified future capabilities.
The CPS weapon system is being developed jointly with the U.S. Army and shares common technology with the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), also known as Dark Eagle. While the Army’s ground-based system can be rapidly deployed using transport aircraft, the Navy’s version will be fielded aboard Zumwalt-class destroyers and future Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines.
Although technical details surrounding the Navy’s CPS remain classified, the Army’s associated hypersonic system has demonstrated an operational range of at least 2,175 miles and employs a conventional boost-glide design intended to strike high-value targets at long distances with short response times.
Modernization Timeline and Shipyard Work
The modernization program is being carried out at HII Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), the lead ship of the class, entered CPS conversion in 2023 and completed initial installation of missile tubes before returning to the water in December 2024. USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002), the third and final ship in the class, arrived at the shipyard in 2025 to begin its refit, while USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001) is scheduled to undergo the same modernization process.
Live-fire testing of the CPS hypersonic missile system aboard USS Zumwalt is expected to begin between 2027 and 2028. The modernization effort across all three ships is projected to cost approximately $2 billion.
Strategic Shift for the Zumwalt-Class
The modernization reflects a broader shift in the mission of the Zumwalt-class destroyers, originally conceived in the late 1990s and early 2000s as stealth warships intended to provide naval gunfire support for operations near coastlines.
Only three of the originally planned 32 destroyers were ultimately built. Over time, the ships’ original mission lost relevance due to the growing proliferation of land-based anti-ship missile systems, while the specialized ammunition required for the AGS became prohibitively expensive, leading the Navy to cancel further procurement.
With growing emphasis on deterrence and long-range strike capabilities in response to China’s expanding military capabilities and the operational demands of the Indo-Pacific region, the Navy has repositioned the Zumwalt-class as stealthy conventional strike platforms capable of launching hypersonic weapons against strategic targets while remaining deployed for longer periods at sea.
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