PORTLAND, Maine — The DDG 1000, the first of three "stealth" guided missile destroyers built at Bath Iron Works, left Guam last week after its first port call.
The stop marked the farthest the ship had ever traveled from its home port, Naval Base San Diego, since its commissioning, the Navy said. The port of call came eight years after Bath Iron Works delivered the first-in-class Zumwalt to the Navy.
The Zumwalt was riddled with difficulties, including questions about the stability of the unique "tumblehome" hull design and the cost of each ship, which prompted the Navy to trim plans for 32 Zumwalts to 24 and ultimately to three.
The Navy then discovered each rocket-propelled shell for the Zumwalt's advanced gun systems would cost approximately $1 million.
The destroyer is assigned to Task Force 71/Destroyer Squadron 15, the largest forward-deployed DESRON and the U.S. 7th fleet's principal surface force, the Navy said.