A future destroyer may concentrate its crew inside an escape citadel

What might a future Arleigh Burke design look like?

A highly automated ship with a reduced crew concentrated in an armored, self-sustaining pod that could detach after catastrophic damage.

Future destroyers may have much smaller crews without becoming completely unmanned. Existing ships already add Kevlar and other protection around command and combat-information spaces. A logical extension is a heavily protected internal pod containing battle stations, life support, power, and emergency accommodation. If the surrounding hull were lost, the pod might detach as a large survival craft, trading comfort for a much greater chance of recovering the crew.