What if the Zumwalt class replaced its AGS mounts one-for-one with updated 8-inch Mark 71 guns?
Short answerIt could yield a capable destroyer suited to replacing early Arleigh Burkes while later replacement plans matured.
NotesThe proposal replaces each Advanced Gun System mount with an updated 8-inch Mark 71 using modern guided ammunition. That arrangement could produce a capable destroyer. The ships could begin replacing early Flight I Arleigh Burkes rather than displacing every Burke variant at once. This would buy the US Navy time to plan successors for the later Flight II and Flight IIA ships.