For he will have to hone his leadership skills to further sharpen the crew’s capabilities as it takes on a new ship’s mission. AdvertisementThe lead ship of a class bearing the name of an amazing naval leader—Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr.—is named after my late father. The destroyer class prior to the Zumwalt class is the Arleigh Burke class. Thus, as the first of its class, the lifespan of USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) would have been at least that long. However, after being fitted for her new mission with the hypersonic missile system, USS Zumwalt is not the same old ship anymore.