How formidable would a 45,000-ton Zumwalt-type cruiser be?
Short answerExtremely formidable as a task-group centerpiece or independent strike ship, potentially carrying several hundred Tomahawk-class weapons plus other capabilities.
NotesA 45,000-ton cruiser could carry helicopters and guns alongside a very large missile battery. Those additional capabilities distinguish the proposal from a ship intended simply as a floating missile stockpile. It could become the centerpiece of a carrier escort group or deploy independently when a carrier was unnecessary. A speculative load of roughly 300 Tomahawk missiles illustrates the scale of the proposed strike capability.