US Navy deploys USS Michael Monsoor stealth destroyer in Japan as response to China’s aircraft carrier deployments.

On July 7, 2025, the Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001) arrived at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, for a scheduled port visit, marking the first appearance of a Zumwalt-class vessel at the base since USS Zumwalt’s visit in 2022. The destroyer transited Tokyo Bay prior to arrival and is currently forward-deployed with Destroyer Squadron 15 (DESRON 15), which is the largest destroyer squadron in the U.S. Navy.
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Positioning the USS Michael Monsoor in Japan brings a Zumwalt-class destroyer within operational reach of key maritime corridors along the first island chain, an area where China has recently deployed two aircraft carriers. (Picture source: US DoD)

DESRON 15 comprises around ten Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, based in Yokosuka but routinely deployed throughout the Western Pacific in both independent operations and in support of carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups. It remains uncertain whether Michael Monsoor is temporarily supplementing or permanently replacing an Arleigh Burke-class vessel within the squadron's force structure. The port call follows a previous stop in Guam in April 2025 and comes after Michael Monsoor departed Naval Base San Diego in March for its current Pacific deployment.

USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001) is the second of three ships in the Zumwalt-class, which was originally intended to include 32 guided-missile destroyers but was ultimately limited to three due to escalating costs and changing operational priorities. Constructed by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Michael Monsoor was awarded on September 15, 2011, laid down on May 23, 2013, launched on June 21, 2016, and commissioned on January 26, 2019. It is currently homeported in San Diego. The ship is named after Master-at-Arms Second Class Michael A. Monsoor, a U.S. Navy SEAL who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The ship is 600 feet long, has a beam of 80.7 feet, and a draft of 27.6 feet. It displaces approximately 14,564 long tons and is powered by two Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines and two RR4500 turbine generators, producing a combined 78 megawatts of electric power. This energy is used for propulsion via electric motors driving two propellers and supports shipboard systems, including future advanced weapons.

The ship’s original mission focused on naval surface fire support, with two 155 mm Advanced Gun Systems (AGS) and 920-round magazines intended to fire Long Range Land Attack Projectiles (LRLAP). However, the Navy canceled LRLAP procurement due to cost overruns that drove the price per round to between $800,000 and $1 million. As a result, the AGS guns are non-operational, and the Zumwalt-class destroyers cannot perform their designed land attack function. The ships were reclassified for a surface warfare role and are being reconfigured to carry hypersonic weapons. USS Zumwalt underwent conversion starting in August 2023 at Huntington Ingalls Industries in Mississippi, with its AGS turrets removed and replaced with four large launch tubes designed for the Intermediate-Range Conventional Prompt Strike (IRCPS) system, a naval adaptation of the U.S. Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW). USS Lyndon B. Johnson, the third Zumwalt-class ship, is having the modifications integrated during its extended construction phase, and USS Michael Monsoor is also scheduled for future conversion. When converted, each of the four launchers on board will house three hypersonic missiles.

Despite the absence of its future hypersonic strike capability, Michael Monsoor’s ongoing Pacific deployment offers operational value. It allows the crew to become familiar with forward operations in preparation for potential reassignment to Zumwalt or Lyndon B. Johnson following those ships' conversions. The deployment also places a Zumwalt-class vessel in close proximity to regions where China has recently increased naval activity. In June 2025, China deployed two aircraft carriers east of the first island chain, which encompasses Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines. The U.S. Navy’s strategic response includes maintaining a rotational presence in the region through scheduled port visits and operations by vessels such as Michael Monsoor, while also signaling intent to operate advanced strike platforms in contested waters. Michael Monsoor’s appearance in Japan has drawn attention due to the ship’s unique tumblehome hull design and low radar cross-section, features that reduce radar visibility and differentiate the class from the more conventional Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

The Zumwalt-class’s 80-cell Mk 57 Peripheral Vertical Launch System (PVLS) constitutes its main offensive and defensive capability. While the Mk 57 supports the same missile types as the more widely deployed Mk 41 system, such as the Tomahawk, SM-6, ASROC, and Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM), it was originally intended to host more advanced munitions thanks to its improved exhaust system and blast-resistant distributed placement along the ship’s perimeter. However, these design advantages remain underutilized, as no new missile has been specifically developed for the Mk 57. Additional armament includes two Mk 46 Mod 2 30 mm Gun Weapon Systems for close-in defense. Earlier plans for 57 mm guns were abandoned following live fire evaluations that showed inferior lethality compared to the 30 mm systems. The ship’s sensor suite includes the AN/SPY-3 Multi-Function Radar and Volume Search Radar, both of which are X- and S-band arrays designed to track and engage surface and aerial threats without relying on the AN/SPG-62 fire-control radar. To enable terminal guidance, the ship uses software-based Interrupted Continuous Wave Illumination (ICWI) rather than continuous wave systems, requiring modified Standard and ESSM missiles.

USS Michael Monsoor also has significant aviation capabilities. It is equipped with a hangar and flight deck capable of operating two SH-60 helicopters or one MH-60R and up to three MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicles. The ship participated in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in 2022, conducting formation sailing and integration training with allied and partner nations. Earlier technical setbacks during sea trials in December 2017 included a failure of a harmonic filter in the ship’s complex electrical system, but these issues did not prevent eventual commissioning. The ship is designated as “in commission, special” until it completes full systems integration, a status previously used for Zumwalt and later dropped for Lyndon B. Johnson, which will follow a traditional commissioning timeline. The Zumwalt class was conceived to integrate emergent technologies with expanded electrical margins, and the remaining power not used in propulsion, reportedly 58 megawatts at cruising speed, is sufficient to support future high-energy systems.

Directed energy weapons (DEWs), such as lasers and electromagnetic railguns, have been proposed for future integration. The class has been considered a candidate for a railgun, particularly as a replacement for the now-defunct AGS. The U.S. Navy explored installing a railgun on Lyndon B. Johnson during construction, but ultimately chose to standardize all three ships with hypersonic weapons instead. While U.S. investment in naval railguns has decreased significantly in favor of stand-off missile systems, Japan tested a ship-mounted railgun in 2023 aboard JS Asuka and recently exhibited a prototype. China has also claimed similar achievements but has yet to release verifiable evidence. Railguns’ operational viability remains tied to the available power supply, which is feasible at sea but difficult to achieve in mobile land-based contexts due to high energy requirements.

Despite reduced armament and limited fleet numbers, Zumwalt-class destroyers remain a visible component of U.S. naval operations. Their distinct appearance and lower radar cross-section often attract attention during port visits and deployments, in contrast to the more ubiquitous Arleigh Burke-class ships. While current deployments lack hypersonic missiles, the Navy has stated that Michael Monsoor and its sister ships are platforms designed to support future technologies and evolving strategic missions. The Navy’s 2023 fact sheet emphasized this adaptability, and recent updates confirm continued interest in using the class for prompt strike missions in contested regions. The Seventh Fleet Public Affairs Office described the Yokosuka visit as a routine stop for rest, resupply, and maintenance, while indicating that deployments such as Michael Monsoor’s reinforce readiness and regional engagement. The long-term basing plan continues to anchor all Zumwalt-class ships to the U.S. Pacific coast, with San Diego as the current homeport. The future trajectory of the ship following its current deployment, whether a return to San Diego or continued operations in the Pacific, remains officially unconfirmed.