The USS Zumwalt: New Stealthy Navy Warship Needs Reflectors To Be Detected By Other Ships

America's new USS Zumwalt is so furtive that it will go to the sea with reflectors so other ships can see them. The concept of the new navy destroyer is just like a smaller vessel on radar.

Washington Post reported that Lawrence Pye, a lobsterman, said that the 610- foot ship appeared to be like a 40-to-50 foot fishing boat on his radar. "It's pretty mammoth while it's that close to you," said Pye.

The Navy figured out that it is good for warfare, but it is less ideal when the destroyer is operating in extreme weather and routing busy shipping channels. They also examined the use of onboard reflectors to enhance its radar visibility. On the other hand, the Zumwalt destroyer has advanced radar that can perceive ships from distances. The chance of collision is small.

Daily Mail reported that the Navy examined the ship's radar signature without the brooding material that is hoisted on its halyard last month, according to Capt. James Downey, the project manager. They want to know how stealthy the ship is.

USS Zumwalt also features a composite deckhouse, new guns, a "tumblehome" hull and electric propulsion. It has a length of 600 ft. (180m) and a beam of 80.7 ft. (24.6 m). Its displacement is about 14,564 long tons (14,798 t).

The weapons of the ship include a RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM), 20x MK 57 VLS module, 70-100 LRLAP rounds, Tactical Tomahawk, two X MK 11057 mm guns, Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine rocket (ASROC), and two X 155 mm/6 caliber Advanced Gun system with 920 X 155 mm rounds total.

About 200 shipbuilders, residents and sailors gathered and watched the largest 600-foot Navy destroyer that glided past the Fort Popham last Monday. There will be more tests that will be conducted when the warship returns this month before it will be turned over to the Navy. It will be assigned in October in Baltimore and will be operational in 2018.