Huntington Ingalls Clears Key Hurdle in Hypersonic Warship Modernization

2026-01-22 companies

Pascagoula, Wednesday, 21 January 2026.
Huntington Ingalls Industries confirms the USS Zumwalt has completed sea trials, officially becoming the U.S. Navy’s first destroyer upgraded to deploy hypersonic missile capabilities.

Operational Milestone for HII

On January 21, 2026, Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE: HII) announced that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has successfully completed builder’s sea trials for the USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) in Pascagoula, Mississippi [1]. This event marks a critical turning point for the lead ship of the Zumwalt class, which has now been validated as the U.S. Navy’s first platform equipped for Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) capabilities [1][2]. The trials, which commenced after the vessel departed Pascagoula on January 15, 2026, involved a comprehensive series of at-sea tests designed to evaluate the ship’s propulsion, maneuverability, and the integration of its new combat subsystems [7]. The successful execution of these trials underscores HII’s capacity to manage complex modernization programs, a vital component of its defense portfolio given its workforce of 44,000 employees [1].

Engineering a Hypersonic Platform

The journey to this operational status required an extensive structural overhaul. The USS Zumwalt arrived at the Pascagoula shipyard in August 2023, where it was subsequently moved onto land to facilitate major technology upgrades [2]. The modernization process focused on pivoting the destroyer from its original surface-fire support role to a long-range strike platform [6]. A central component of this retrofit was the removal of the ship’s original twin 155mm Advanced Gun Systems (AGS) [6]. In their place, engineers installed four large-diameter vertical launch tubes capable of housing 12 hypersonic missiles [7]. Following the completion of these structural changes, the vessel was undocked in December 2024 to prepare for the recently concluded sea trials [1][2].

Strategic Implications for Naval Warfare

The integration of the CPS weapon system provides the U.S. Navy with a non-nuclear strategic capability to strike high-value targets at speeds exceeding Mach 5 [6]. Brian Blanchette, president of Ingalls Shipbuilding, noted that this achievement sets a precedent for the entire Zumwalt class, highlighting the collaborative effort required to advance the Navy’s first warship with hypersonic capabilities [1][2]. The successful testing of the new hypersonic launch system, which utilizes a “cold gas” launch approach, was previously announced by the Navy in May 2025 [7]. This modernization ensures the stealth destroyer remains relevant in a landscape requiring rapid, long-range power projection [6].

Future Fleet Availability

With the USS Zumwalt’s trials complete, HII is progressing with similar upgrades for the remaining ships in the class. The USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG 1002) is currently undergoing CPS weapon system integration at the Ingalls facility [2]. Meanwhile, the USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) is scheduled to receive the hypersonic system during a future maintenance availability [1][6]. As the USS Zumwalt moves toward formal redelivery to the fleet, it paves the way for a revitalized operational role for the three-ship class, focusing on deterrence and sea control [6][7].

Sources

Defense Shipbuilding