US Navy's new cutting-edge destroyer develops malfunction

WASHINGTON: Just weeks after its launch, the US Navy's most technologically advanced destroyer, the USS Zumwalt, has been put out of action due to engineering problems.

"The timeline for repairs is being determined now," US Navy Commander Ryan Perry said.

The problem occurred while the warship was crossing the Panama Canal.


Perry told CNN that the commander of the US Third Fleet, Vice Admiral Nora Tyson, directed the ship to remain at ex- Naval Station Rodman in Panama to determine what caused the malfunction.

The ship is thought to be the most advanced destroyer ever built for the US Navy.

Upon its October commissioning in Baltimore, Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr., commander of US Pacific Command, said, "If Batman had a ship, it would be the USS Zumwalt."

The Zumwalt, equipped with sharp angles and weaponry concealed behind flat surfaces, is designed to be more difficult to spot on radar than conventional destroyers.

"We can't get this technological marvel to the Pacific fast enough," Harris said last month, adding, "The technology in Zumwalt's unique hull and the ingenuity of her stalwart crew are powerful guarantors of peace."

But the ship's high cost is likely to bring additional scrutiny to the recent malfunction.

The Navy initially planned to order over 20 of the new destroyers but cost overruns and delays caused the number of ships ordered to be reduced to just three vessels.

According to a report by the Government Accountability Office, the total program cost, consisting of three ships, will be over $22 billion.