The christening ceremony of the first Zumwalt-class destroyer, the USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000), took place at General Dynamics-Bath Iron Works shipyard located in Bath, Maine on 12 April, 2014.
Secretary of the U.S. Navy, Ray Mabus, and other honored guests attended the christening ceremony.
USS Zumwalt is the first ship named after Admiral Elmo R. “Bud” Zumwalt Jr., who was an American naval officer and the youngest man to serve as the Chief of Naval Operations.
The former admiral’s daughters, Mouzetta Zumwalt-Weathers and Ann Zumwalt, each christened the ship by smashing a bottle of Champagne near the ship’s bow.
The Secretary said on the occasion that Adm. Elmo Zumwalt was a leader, a trailblazer and a pioneer for things like justice.
The Zumwalt-class destroyer represents the next-generation of multi-mission surface combatants and will enable access in the open ocean, littoral and ashore. The Navy has procured three Zumwalt-class destroyers.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, April 14, 2014; Image: US Navy