Zumwalt ammunition lock-in and the cancellation logic

Decision-makers wanted to cancel the gun after deciding that its mission was no longer worth the money. Less expensive alternatives were dismissed while the costliest option was presented as the only route forward, making cancellation appear inevitable. The automated magazine and shot-handling gear created real lock-in because they were designed around a proprietary guided projectile. The follow-up considers how a carousel would hold rounds in fixed positions, read identifying marks, skip an unreadable shell, and send the error to a human operator. Retrofitting such a system would still be difficult and expensive, but the discussion distinguishes that burden from technical impossibility. Requirements, sunk design choices, and institutional preference all shaped the procurement outcome.