The new guns on the US Navy's biggest and most advanced destroyer are going to be firing blanks if the Navy can't find cost-effective projectiles.
The GPS-guided, rocket-powered projectiles developed for the new 155mm Advanced Gun System currently cost about $800,000 apiece, nearly as much as a cruise missile, making them too expensive for the Navy to buy in large quantities for the stealthy USS Zumwalt, according to officials.
The destroyer features electric propulsion, an angular shape to minimize radar signature, an unconventional wave-piercing hull, and a deckhouse that hides radar and other sensors. The 155mm Advanced Gun System was designed by BAE Armament Systems.
The ships weigh in at nearly 15,000 tons, about 50 percent heavier than current destroyers. But the crew size is half of the 300 personnel of other destroyers, thanks to automation.
The projectiles were supposed to be less expensive than missiles, providing a cost-effective way to pummel targets from 70 miles away, clearing a path for amphibious landings.
But the current price compares with $1 million for a cruise missile, which has a range of 1,000 miles. And the price is expected to grow, officials said.
For now, there are no plans to buy projectiles beyond the initial purchase of 90, according to the Navy's draft 2018 budget. The Zumwalt is supposed to be stocked with 600.
The Navy has been struggling to reduce costs because of budget limits, but those constraints could be eased when Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes office. He has vowed to boost defense spending and to increase the size of the U.S. fleet.
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