In this interpretation, the Zumwalt hull did not inherently fail. The program was burdened by multiple advanced systems that were expected to mature together and then lost its case when they did not. A conservative interim fit could have used proven Burke weapons, sensors, and additional VLS while retaining the new hull's space for later upgrades. That path would have required the Navy, Pentagon, and political sponsors to admit that procurement choices rather than the ship itself had failed.
Notable Point · 2:08:08-2:10:29
Zumwalt exposed the cost of tying a new hull to immature systems
The procurement critique proposes preserving the Zumwalt hull with proven weapons and sensors while leaving room for later upgrades.