The US Navy is moving some of its most advanced warships and submarines to Hawaii as part of a major modernization effort aimed at countering China’s growing military presence in the Pacific.
This move will make Pearl Harbor the base for the Navy’s first hypersonic surface and submarine fleet by 2030. The initiative focuses on the deployment of ships and submarines equipped with the conventional fast-strike hypersonic missile (CPS), the Navy’s first sea-launched hypersonic missile. The CPS is a maneuverable missile, capable of exceeding a speed of Mach 5, can be launched from air, sea or land and has the ability to perform evasive maneuvers.
According to planning documents, The Navy plans to establish its three Zumwalt-class destroyers and several Virginia-class submarines, armed with CPS missiles, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
Every Zumwalt destroyer will eventually carry 12 hypersonic missiles. In contrast, the new Virginia-class submarines with the Virginia Payload Module (VPM) will carry the same number, providing long-range strike options in the air, land and sea domains.
Much of the modernization work at Pearl Harbor are scheduled to be completed by mid-2028, with the full complement of ships and submarines with operational CPS capability by the end of the decade.
The Zumwalt-class destroyer is a class of three guided missile destroyers of the United States Navy, designed for stealth and multi-mission capabilities. Originally focused on the ground attack, They are now being converted for surface and anti-air warfare, with their advanced gun systems replaced by hypersonic missiles. Key features include a unique hull whose profile cuts through the waves for stealth, an advanced electric propulsion system and a high degree of automation to reduce crew size.
The futurists Navy Zumwalt-class destroyersoriginally designed for coastal bombing and stealth operations, have been converted into hypersonic attack platforms.
“The Zumwalts have the power, the stealth capability and the internal space necessary to integrate the weapons of the future -, declared a high-ranking naval engineer in an interview -. They are the ideal helmet for this mission.”
In light of this progress, infrastructure improvements are already being carried out, including new electrical systems and dock improvements to accommodate advanced platforms.This change represents a fundamental reorientation of the Navy’s strike doctrine, concentrating its most urgent capabilities near potential critical points.