Was Zumwalt itself a waste of money?

Is Zumwalt a humongous waste of money, or merely a massive one?

The hull is not the central failure; immature or cancelled weapon programs and procurement decisions did most of the damage.

The Zumwalt hull is separated from the program elements that gave the class its reputation. The ship form is treated as sensible, while the criticism falls on immature equipment, the Advanced Gun System, the railgun concept, and withdrawn funding. The comparison with Littoral Combat Ship shows how an unsuitable hull or systems that never become viable can damage a sound concept. One failed planned capability does not necessarily provide a fair verdict on the entire design.