DD(X): America's frontline surface combatant of the future

摘要

On a January morning off the coast of California, the sharp report of a 155mm gun signaled a significant milestone - one of the most critical to date - for the US Navy's DD(X) next-generation multi-mission destroyer programme. Shortly after being fired out of the gun, the projectile's rocket kicked in, pushing the round thousands of feet into the air where it acquired a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal, manoeuvred toward its preprogrammed target and raced to the spot nearly 32 nautical miles away. Just weeks later, another shot duplicated that success. The two tests are remarkable because the munition - known as the Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP) - is an essential part of the lethal punch the DD(X) is designed to deliver.