What is Dr. Clarke's favorite US Navy warship?
Short answerHe picks the Arleigh Burke class, while warning that its success has made US destroyer debates orbit the Burke rather than older roles such as the Spruance replacement problem.
NotesThe Arleigh Burke class is the answer because its ships are useful and capable, yet that success leads straight to a procurement caveat. The class came to define a destroyer for the American public and Congress. Zumwalt had been conceived in relation to the Spruance role, but the Spruance class disappeared during the post-Cold War drawdown. By the time Zumwalt reached political debate, the Burke had become the familiar benchmark and the Spruance-shaped operational gap was easy to overlook.