The latest renderings depicting the U.S. Navy’s next-generation destroyer are missing some weapon systems initially incorporated onboard the ship. According to Naval News, the image revealed by Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships last week showcases the DDG(X) without a main gun. Back in 2022, the upcoming destroyer was equipped with a 5-inch Mark 45 Mod 4 main gun forward of the bow-mounted 32-cell ark 41 Vertical Launch System cells. While this original design was purely conceptual, the new DDG(X)’s missing gun is significant. Similar to the service’s other next-generation projects, its destroyer timeline has been delayed. The most recent estimates surrounding the DDG(X) indicate the destroyer will not become available until the early 2030s at the earliest.

Capable of operating independently or as part of a carrier strike group alongside an aircraft carrier, guided missile destroyers have remained the crux of the Navy’s surface fleet for years. Since the service’s existing Arleigh Burke and Zumwalt-class destroyers will be eventually phased out, securing their successors is essential, especially as the likelihood of a South China Sea conflict with Beijing increases.

The Navy’s quest to develop a Next Generation Cruiser (originally CG(X)) originated back in 2010 as part of the service’s post-Cold War strategy. However, CG(X) was found to have limited platform potential and was nixed early on. Initially, the Zumwalt class of destroyers was intended to fill this gap. Only three were ever produced, though, due to budgetary issues and performance issues. When the DDG(X) is eventually commissioned, it will feature a range of advanced capabilities that will make it superior to its predecessors. From longer-range anti-surface and strike capabilities to increased survivability and efficiency, the next-generation destroyer will hopefully be more successful than the Zumwalts when in service.

As part of the DDG(X)’s capability package, the Navy has requested that the new destroyers host Flight III Aegis combat system elements. In terms of armaments, the warships are expected to be fitted with ninety-six Vertical Launch Systems cells, two Rolling Airframe Missile launchers, and a large mid-body hull section which will enable even more weapons to be incorporated into the warship.

While analysts expected the first renderings of DDG(X) publicized to be augmented over time, the latest depiction of the destroyer showcases several important differences. In addition to the lack of a main gun, Naval News detailed other divergences. In the rear deckhouse of the warship, “The two Mk-144 Guided Missile Launchers (GMLs) sit higher on the ship. The exhaust funnel arrangement has been modified, and new bow-facing vents have been added. A new spherical radome is located where two AN/SPG-62 illuminators were located on the 2022 rendering, following the design philosophy of the FFG-62 class in striking radar illuminators from the requirements given the proliferation of active homing missiles in the U.S. Navy.”

It is important to note that the latest design publicized by the service will certainly not represent DDG(X)’s final design. Since the class is not expected to begin construction until the early 2030s, additional augmentations will likely occur over time.

About the Author: Maya Carlin

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.

Image: Vytautas Kielaitis / Shutterstock.com