How 32 Zumwalts might have changed naval competition

How would 32 fully functional Zumwalt-class destroyers have affected other navies?

They would have strengthened American littoral warfare and could have pushed China toward a more radical Type 055 response in the competition for status and capability.

The counterfactual supplies 32 Zumwalt-class destroyers with steel superstructures from the third hull, functional Aegis and SPY-6, and HELIOS point-defence lasers. That fleet would strengthen American littoral capability. A more speculative consequence is a Chinese response with a more radical Type 055 hull, perhaps including tumblehome. Similar radar and weapon functions already help explain similarities between Type 055 and American destroyer layouts. The further claim is that a successful Zumwalt programme could also influence the competition over naval image and status. No firm Chinese redesign or production timetable follows from that speculation.