Overview
- The GAO report, released July 17, says the Navy’s program to fit three Zumwalt‑class destroyers with Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missiles is about 24 months behind schedule.
- Flight testing from a Zumwalt that was planned for 2025 has slipped to 2027, creating a gap between ship readiness and weapon availability.
- Modernization of the lead ship USS Zumwalt was 94% complete in January 2026 but added unplanned cabling work and power‑system restart failures that delayed the return to service and mean the ship will initially sail without CPS rounds.
- Lockheed Martin’s production rate is roughly six to seven missiles per year versus the planned 12, and the GAO identified quality control problems such as substandard parts and difficult, labor‑intensive assembly processes.
- The GAO documented rising program costs—from a 2020 estimate of $31 billion for 262 missiles to about $41 billion for 224 missiles with an average cost near $67 million each—and warned the lack of a coordinated DOD strategy raises sustainment and budget risks for the unique, costly DDG‑1000 ships.