DDG 1000 launched

A stealthy, deadly ship. Her fist commander: Captain James A. Kirk. [Link]

The U.S. Navy has unveiled its most ambitious and expensive warship to ever hit the high seas: The Zumwalt DDG 1000.

Launched into the water earlier this week by General Dynamics, a Maine-based shipbuilder, the Zumwalt—named after the former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Elmo R. “Bud” Zumwalt Jr.—is built for both land and water attacks, and is equipped with some of the world’s most advanced Naval weaponry. Its intended purpose, according to the Navy, is to “provide independent forward presence and deterrence” and to “operate as part of joint and combined expeditionary forces.” In other words: It’s a destroyer ship.

The ship’s appropriately titled “Advanced Gun System,” built by Raytheon, the global defense contractor, is designed to fire rocket-powered missiles at a distance of 63 miles, guided by a system five times more accurate than anything the Navy currently uses. The ship may be big, but it’s stealthy, too. The Zumwalt features a  “tumblehome” hull, which keeps the ship’s location relatively clear from radar screens. And the ship’s propulsion system, designed by the maritime division of Rolls-Royce, can generate 78 megawatts of electricity. That’s enough wattage to power a laser weapon on board the ship’s deck—a much-rumored new feature of the Zumwalt.

They’re just rumors, so far, because the Navy hasn’t yet finished building the ship. Though General Dynamics launched the Zumwalt into water this week, the Navy won’t actually receive it until early 2014. At that point, Navy engineers will finish building out its weaponry system and activate the ship’s combat systems. The Navy predicts the Zumwalt will be ready for battle by 2016.

And yesterday, the Navy announced the ship’s commander-to-be: Captain James A. Kirk, a navy veteran. Yes, that’s right. Captain Kirk will pilot this futuristic vessel. (Hear that? That’s the sound of Star Trek fans high-fiving around the globe.)