US Navy's 4.4 Billion Warship USS Zumwalt Breaks Down-- Again

By Raizel Albano
The USS Zumwalt as it was being released from the manufacturing facility in Maine.
The USS Zumwalt as it was being released from the manufacturing facility in Maine.  CNN.

USS Zumwalt, the largest shipping destroyer ever built for the US Navy, breaks down again since it was released for use on October 15. Currently, repair work is being made and many critics are bothered by this massive engineering failure.

Some US citizens express their disappointment online, saying that the ship is a "typical American-built garbage" and that it is "under-armed, under-armored, under-manned and over-priced." Some have also suggested that Americans should start ordering their ships from more technologically able countries, and that the ship is "too expensive to lose in a war."

Fleet commander Vice Admiral Nora Tyson says, "The timeline for repairs is being determined now, in direct coordination with Naval Sea Systems and Naval Surface Forces."

It is estimated that repairs will take up to 10 days.

The 610-feet warship costed the American government over $4.4bn, and is equipped with the most advanced technologies built to stand all seasons and threats at sea.

Just last week, it was towed at the ex-American Naval Station Rodman along the Panama Canal following its break down. It was then on its way to San Diego, California from the manufacturing facility at Bath Iron Works in Maine for the fitting of its specialized weaponry.

According to US Third Fleet spokesman commander Ryan Perry, the schedule for the ship's onward journey is currently unknown following the fiasco. Perry adds, this is "to enable testing and evaluation in order to ensure the ship's safe transit to her new home port in San Diego."

The US Navy's press release puts the break down to an 'engineering problem'. It is said that the ship crew first saw trouble when they saw water getting into the bearings. The bearings were critical as they were connected to the ship's electrical motors. The ship then lost power and the crew had to immediately seek refuge at the nearest naval station.

Other netizens take the news positively, saying that there shouldn't be a big fuss with the ship breakdown as it is a normal technological 'glitch'. One also says, "Only in fantasy land would such a huge engineering project as this not have any issues."

The USS Zumwalt was built for use in shallow coastal waters, and is intended to support on-shore forces in times of aircraft and naval warfare. It features the most advanced electric propulsion, radar, sonar, missiles, guns and stealth systems. It is named after Admiral Elmo Zumwalt who has left a legacy in building the modern US Navy. 

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