USS Zumwalt visits Mayport on way to home port in San Diego

The USS Zumwalt looks very different from other ships — because it is.

“Its 147 sailors on a ship that’s about one-and-half times the size of our other destroyers,” said Captain James Kirk, commanding officer of the USS Zumwalt.

The ship, which weighs more than 14,000 tons, made its first port visit to Florida on Tuesday. The guided missile destroyer was commissioned in Baltimore last week and named after Elmo “Bud” Zumwalt, a former chief of U.S. Navy operations.

The USS Zumwalt, which reportedly cost more than $3 billion, is known for its technology on board.

“We have a new radar system with advanced gun systems that you see their new launch system and helicopter control,” Kirk said.

And it’s also built so that it’s tough to spot.

“It’s designed to be very difficult to find and track, making it more difficult for an adversary to attack the ship,” said Kirk.

The Navy said it will be here for just a few days for maintenance before it embarks for its home port in San Diego.

Cox Media Group