The US Navy's Most Advanced Warship Is Yet Another Victim of 2016
Warships are associated with being steady, strong, and resolute. That's kinda their thing. But 2016 has obliterated everything in its path, so it should be no surprise that the American Navy's best warship just broke down for the second time in two months.
Defense News reports that on Monday evening, the USS Zumwalt (DDG) had propulsion system issues while traveling through the Panama Canal and had to be towed. Said Third Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Ryan Perry in a statement late Monday, as per Defense News:
"Vice Adm. Nora Tyson, commander, US Third Fleet, has directed USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) to remain at ex-Naval Station Rodman in Panama to address engineering issues that occurred while transiting the Panama Canal. The timeline for repairs is being determined now, in direct coordination with Naval Sea Systems and Naval Surface Forces. The schedule for the ship will remain flexible to enable testing and evaluation in order to ensure the ship's safe transit to her new homeport in San Diego."
The ship, which just left its builder's yard in early September, was towed to Rodman, a former United States base once known as the Balboa Naval Station. In late October, the ship also had "unspecified engineering trouble," according to USNI.
Sure, the good ol' USS Zumwalt is having a rough year just like the rest of us, but since it's the Navy's newest warship and is still in its sea trials phase, the kinks will likely be ironed out soon. The Navy plans on fully integrating it into the fleet in 2017 or 2018.
(H/T Business Insider)
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