Why a smaller Zumwalt crew may not mean lower cost

Would a lower-crewed Zumwalt cost less to operate than an Arleigh Burke destroyer?

Not necessarily; unique parts, tiny class size, and unfamiliar failures can outweigh personnel savings.

The panel contrasts the Zumwalt class's automation with the Burke class's large production base, established supply chain, and decades of maintenance knowledge. Fewer sailors reduce direct personnel expense but do not make unique parts cheaper to order for a class of only three ships. Burke support costs are spread across scores of hulls, and maintainers already know the class's recurring faults and repair methods. Zumwalt crews may spend more labor diagnosing novel failures even when fewer people are assigned to the ship. The comparison shows why crew size alone is a poor proxy for total operating cost.