Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division has successfully delivered the final two aft peripheral vertical launch system (PVLS) assemblies to the US Navy in support of the second DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class multimission ship, USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001).
The company has already delivered the first two of four assembly units, which make up the aft PVLS, in July 2012, while work on the DDG 1001 is scheduled to be complete in the first quarter of 2014.
Currently, General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works is manufacturing the DDG 1001 hull, while HII is developing the PVLS assemblies as well as composite hangar and deckhouse at its composite centre of excellence in Gulfport, Mississippi, US.
Designed to significantly enhance the ship’s survivability, the PVLS can distribute the missile launchers for the vessel in separate four-cell launcher compartments along the ship’s hull.
The Zumwalt-class guided-missile naval vessels will be armed with tactical tomahawk, standard missile SM-3 and the evolved Sea Sparrow missile (ESSM) to provide offensive, distributed and precision fires in support of forces onshore.
Designed for sustained operations in the littorals and land attack, the multi-mission ship features improved quality of life, low operations and support costs, multi-spectral signature reduction, balanced warfighting design, survivability and adaptability.
The first and third Zumwalt-class ships, USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) and future USS Lyndon B Johnson (DDG 1002), are scheduled to be delivered to the US Navy in fiscal year 2014 and fiscal year 2018 respectively.
Expected to be delivered to the Navy in the fiscal year 2016, the 610ft-long USS Michael Monsoor will provide independent forward presence and deterrence while supporting special operations forces.
Image: officials sign paperwork transferring ownership of the DDG 1001 ship’s final aft PVLS. Photo: courtesy of Huntington Ingalls Industries.
