DDG-1000 Zumwalt (Sea Trials)
DDG-1001 Michael Monsoor (Bldng)
DDG-1002 Lyndon Johnson (Bldng)

Her construction began in 2009 and her keel laying was conducted November 17, 2011. With modular construction, what used to be the intial major milestone of construction, now occurs later in the process, when the ship was 60% complete.

The second in class, DDG-1001, the USS Michael Monsoor, began construction in 2010 and its keel laying occurred in 2012. DDG-1001 is named for Master-at-Arms 2nd Class (SEAL) Michael Monsoor, the second SEAL to receive the Medal of Honor in the Global War on Terror (GWOT). USS Monsoor, DDG-1001, will be launched in the 2nd quarter of 2016, and should embark on sea trials in mid 2017. On April 16 2012, it was announced that the third Zumwalt-class destroyer, designated DDG-1002, will be named the USS Lyndon B. Johnson after the nation's 36th president. The USS Lyndon B. Johnson will be in launched in the early 2017 time frame.

The Zumwalt-class destroyer (DDG-1000) represents next-generation multi-mission destroyer technology for the US Navy that is tailored for land attack and littoral dominance, combined with a strong anti-surface and anti-air capability. DDG 1000 will provide forward presence and deterrence, and operate as an integral part of joint and combined expeditionary forces. The program was previously known as the DD-21, and then the "DD(X)". They will take the place of the Iowa class battleships in filling the congressional mandate for naval fire support.

USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) is the lead ship of the Zumwalt class and the first ship to be named for Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, who progressed to become the youngest Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) in American history. Elmo Russell Zumwalt, Jr. (29 November 1920 – 2 January 2000) became an Adrmial in the U.S. Navy and later the 19th Chief of Naval Operations. Zumwalt played a major role in U.S. Military history, especially during the Vietnam War. A highly-decorated war veteran, Admiral Zumwalt reformed Naval personnel policies in an effort to improve enlisted life and ease racial tensions. After he retired from a 32-year Navy career, he launched an unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. Senate.

The hull classification beginning with DDG-1000 departing from the guided missile destroyer sequence started with DDG-51 with the Arleigh Burke class destroyer, of which 64 have currently been built up through DDG-114, and at leat ten more are planned. The ZUmwalt continues the destroyer sequence left off with the lastr Spruance class destroyer at 999, and so begins with 1000.

The DDG-1000 is planned to feature all of the following:

- Significantly reduced radar profile.
- Integrated power system for propulsion & weapons.
- Total ship computing environment for LAN.
- Automated fire-fighting & rupture isolation.
- Significantly reduced crew & operations expense.
- Wave-piercing tumblehome hull.
- Advanced Gun System (AGS) w/155mm guns.
- Peripheral Vertical Launch System (PVLS). - More powerful SPY-3 radar (orignally planned to be the DBR) housed in an integrated deck house. - Provisions for rail GUn and LAser weapon additions in the future.

Originally, the Navy planned to build 32 of these destroyers. That number was later reduced to 24, then to 12, then to 7, and finally to just three vessels. This has exasperated the cost of the vessels, where the higher numbers were planned for operational needs, and to allow a strong offset and ROI against expense of new technologies to be incorporated in the destroyer. Ultimately, as a a result of these political decisions, the US Navy decided to extend the Arliegh Burke destroyer construction beyond the orginal 62 vessels originally planned. On 23 November 2005, the Defense Acquisition Board approved a plan for simultaneous construction of the first two DDG-1000 ships at Northrop’s Ingalls yard in Pascagoula, MS and General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works in Bath, ME. The Navy now expects each ship to cost over $3 billion dollars. The 2010 budget established that three DDG-1000 ships woul be produced, all of them at Bath Iron Worlkd in Maine, with a compromise that both Bath Iron Works and Ingalls Shipbuilding would share in the continued production of Arleigh Burke destroyers. It is possible that after the 2016 presidential elections, decisions could be made to produce more of the Zumwalts, but right now, the production run is set to theree vessels.

Many of the ship's features were developed under the DD21 program ("21st Century Destroyer"). In 2001, Congress cut the DD-21 program by half as part of the SC21 program. To save it, the acquisition program was renamed as DD(X) and reworked. Later, the program was again renamed the DDG-1000 program which is the final name.

On 31 July 2008, U.S. Navy acquisition officials informed Congress that the service needed to purchase more Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, and no longer saw the need for multiple, next-generation DDG-1000 class. At that time, it was suggested that only two destroyers would be built. The Navy said the world threat picture had changed such that it made more sense to build more Burkes, rather than DDG-1000s. Many Congressional members were incredulous that the Navy could have conducted such a sweeping re-evaluation of the world threat picture in just a few weeks, after spending some 13 years and $10 billion on the surface ship program known as DD-21, then DD(X) and finally, DDG-1000. Subsequently chief of naval operations Gary Roughead cited the need to provide area air defense and specific new threats such as ballistic missiles and the possession of anti-ship missiles by groups such as Hezbollah.

On 19 August, 2008 Secretary Winter was reported to say that a third Zumwalt would be built at Bath Iron Works, citing concerns about maintaining shipbuilding capacity. House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha said on 23 September 2008 that he had agreed to partial funding of the third DDG-1000 in the 2009 Defense authorization bill.

On 6 April 2009, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that DoD's proposed 2010 budget will end the DDG-1000 program at a maximum of three ships. Also in April, the Pentagon awarded a fixed-price contract with General Dynamics to build the three destroyers, replacing a cost-plus-fee contract that had been awarded to Northrop Grumman. All three destroyers would be built in Maine at Bath Iron works though sub-assemly work will occur at various other locations. The first and second destroyers are expected to cost around $3.5 billion and the third somewhat less.

In order to reach the goals for the requirements intended for this vessel, the following 10 technologies will be incorporated:

Sonar - A dual-band sonar controlled by a highly automated computer system will be used to detect mines and submarines. The arrangemtn will be optimized for littoral Anti-submarine warfare and will include:.

- A hull-mounted mid-frequency sonar (AN/SQS-60)
- A hull-mounted high-frequency sonar (AN/SQS-61)
- A multi-function towed array sonar and handling system (AN/SQR-20)

Propulsion - The original plan for DDG-1000 propulsion called for a Permanent Magnet Motor (PMM). However, due to difficulties with this technology which would have delayed the overall scehdule significantly, the decision was made to use an Advanced Induction Motor (AIM) instead. AIM technology is superior to current DDG propuslion technology, but does require a heavier motor, more space, a separate controller to meet noise requirements, and produces less voltage than the proposed PMM System. But, the AIM is also very workable for the overall intergrated power system, and was available to meet the schedule for the program.