BATH — The stealthy Zumwalt is now property of the U.S. Navy.
The Navy assumed ownership of the 610-foot destroyer Friday after signing off on extensive inspections, tests and builder sea trials. Sailors can now move aboard the ship.
Rear Adm. Jim Downie, program manager, called it “a significant achievement” both for the Navy and the shipbuilding team led by Bath Iron Works. The ship will be commissioned in the fall.
The Zumwalt features a stealthy design to evade radar, new guns to boost the Navy’s land attack capability, and a hull design for sustained operations close to shore.
The Zumwalt is the largest destroyer ever built for the Navy. It’s also the most expensive. The Navy’s latest budget submission puts the cost of the first-in-class ship at $4.5 billion.
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