A multi-mission surface combatant with no one aboard to put at risk.
Phase 7 · 2033+Concept design
Displacement
≈ 9,700 t
Power
2 × 36 MW gas-turbine generators
Fuel burn
≈ 4.5 t / hr at 20 kn
Crew aboard
0
I · Blueprint
Side elevation, live systems
01Propeller & rudderPropulsion
02Shaft linePropulsion
03Hangar & flight deck — rotorcraftStructure
04Integrated electric propulsion motorPropulsion
05Vertical launch cells — aft, 64Mission systems
06Gas-turbine generator 1Power
07Deckhouse & integrated sensor arrayStructure
08Battery bank — 20 MWh, pulse loadsPower
09Hull — flared, low-signatureStructure
10Sensor mastStructure
11Gas-turbine generator 2Power
12Vertical launch cells — forward, 32Mission systems
13Main gunMission systems
14Bow sonar domeMission systems
15Towed array & reelMission systems
16Air intakes & exhaust uptakesPower
17Switchboards & common busPower
18Autonomy coreMission systems
19Fuel tanks, double bottomPower
20Radar array faces × 4Mission systems
II · Power & drivetrain
Integrated electric, sized for sensors.
Gas-turbine generators and a battery bank share one bus, so power can shift instantly between propulsion, radar and mission systems.
Gas-turbine generators and battery bank — rotating view
Two 36 MW recuperated gas-turbine generators, each with six compressor stages, six combustor cans and three turbine stages spinning, feed the main switchboard together with a 20 MWh battery bank. Two 31 MW propulsion motors and the radar pulse load hang off the same bus.
01Gas-turbine generators — 2 × 36 MW, recuperated, 48% fuel to bus
02Compressor — 6 stages, 20:1
03Combustor — 6 cans, synthetic marine diesel
04Turbine — 3 stages, exhaust through the recuperator
05Battery bank — 20 MWh, 50 MW for pulse loads and silent running
06Main switchboard — 13.8 kV integrated electric bus
07Propulsion motors — 2 × 31 MW, 2 shafts
08Radar and mission pulse loads — from the battery, not the turbines
Propeller — 5 blades
Power plant · IC design2 × 36 MW gas-turbine generators
Shaft output≈ 62 MW at 30 kn, 2 × 31 MW motors
FuelSynthetic marine diesel
Consumption≈ 4.5 t / hr at 20 kn
Metal content≈ 89% of lightship
Naked drivetrain — energy to motion
III · Armament
Every layer, from the horizon to the hull.
Ninety-six vertical cells carry the long and medium layers. A 5-inch gun, a close-in gun and a 60 kW laser take what gets through; two triple tubes amidships answer a submarine. Choose a system to watch it fire, or open the magazines to see how each round reaches its launcher.
Launcher or mountCountCells or roundsRange classReload
Mk 41 vertical launch cells (strike length)96 (32 forward, 64 aft)1 missile per cell; 4 ESSM per cellShort to very longIn port by crane, about 30 min per cell; at-sea reload demonstrated 2024–25
Mk 45 Mod 4 5-inch/62 gun120-round loader drum; 600-round magazine13 nm; 20+ nm with the extended-range roundHoisted from the magazine, 16–20 rounds a minute
Mk 15 Phalanx close-in gun11,550-round drum, about 20 s of fireVery shortOn deck from ammunition boxes, 10–30 min
Mk 32 triple torpedo tubes2 (6 tubes)1 Mk 54 torpedo per tube; spares in a magazine beside the mountShortBy hand through the muzzle, minutes per tube
60 kW laser (IC design future fit; in service on one destroyer today)1No ammunition: power and coolingA few km in clear airRecharges from the ship’s bus
Compatible munitions
Air defense
SM-2 Block IIIA/IIIB, Standard Missile family, medium rangeIn service
SM-6 Block I/IA, extended range (also anti-ship)In service
Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile Block 2, four per cellIn service
Rolling Airframe Missile Block 2 (Mk 49 or SeaRAM, fleet plan from 2025)In service
SM-2 Block IIIC/IIICUIn development
SM-6 Block IB, 21-inchIn development
Ballistic-missile defense
SM-3 Block IB and IIA, exo-atmosphericIn service
SM-6 Dual I/II, terminal phaseIn service
Glide Phase InterceptorIn development
Strike
Tomahawk Block V, long-range land attackIn service
Conventional Prompt Strike, hypersonic (DDG-1000 tubes)In development
Anti-ship
Maritime Strike Tomahawk, Block Va (early capability 2025)In service
Naval Strike Missile, deck canisters (trial fit)In service
LRASM from a vertical cell (demonstrated)In development
Anti-sub and torpedo
VL-ASROC, rocket-thrown torpedoIn service
Mk 54 lightweight torpedo (tubes and helicopter)In service
Mk 54 Mod 2In development
Mk 58 Compact Rapid Attack Weapon, anti-torpedoIn development
Guns and counter-drone
5-inch rounds, standard and extended rangeIn service
Hypervelocity projectile, 5-inchIn development
Mk 38 25 mm and .50 cal mountsIn service
Coyote Block 2 jet interceptor (8-cell launcher)In service
Roadrunner-M reusable interceptorIn development
HELIOS 60 kW laser (one ship) and ODIN dazzlersIn service
Joint Laser Weapon System, 150–300 kWIn development
Nulka hovering decoy, Mk 53 launcherIn service
Systems are named by US Navy designation. Sequences follow public descriptions at animation pace; tracer spacing, drone speed and the torpedo tubes’ train angle (shown in the plane of the drawing) are illustrative. Sources and checks are listed in BUILD_NOTES.md.
IV · How it is put together
Three hull modules, the deckhouse landed early.
Hull units are welded upside down and turned over, joined into stern, midbody and bow modules, and the deckhouse is lifted onto the midbody before the modules close. The newest destroyer took about five years from first fabrication to delivery.
Hull units are welded upside down for easier welding, then turned upright.
Units are joined into stern, midbody and bow modules on a level platform.
Turbine generators, motors and the battery go into the open engine rooms.
The deckhouse is lifted onto the midbody, then the mast on top.
The hull is moved onto a floating dock, floated off, and trialled at sea.
I
Units built upside down, flipped
II
Units joined into three modules
III
Generators lowered into engine rooms
IV
Deckhouse lifted, mast stepped
V
Launch, builder’s and acceptance trials
V · Specification
Design specification.
Design values for the autonomous guided-missile destroyer. Every figure matches the drawings, the power unit and the compute panel on this page.
Length overall
155 m
Displacement
≈ 9,700 t
Vertical launch cells
96
Aviation
Autonomous rotorcraft & hangar
Power plant · IC design
2 × 36 MW gas-turbine generators
Range
4,500 nm at 20 kn
Fuel
Synthetic marine diesel
Consumption
≈ 4.5 t / hr at 20 kn
Speed
30+ kn
Shaft output
≈ 62 MW at 30 kn · 2 × 31 MW motors
Plant efficiency
48% recuperated, fuel to bus
Battery bank
20 MWh, 50 MW pulse
Propulsion · IC design
Integrated electric
Metal content
≈ 89% of lightship
Crew aboard
0 — remote command
Fuel aboard
≈ 1,100 t
Onboard compute
Eight AI modules in two racks; combat systems stay separate
Modules8 heavy AI modules in 2 mirrored racks (navigation 2; perception 4; engineering & power management 2) + 4 certified safety controllers; combat systems are separate
AI throughput40,000 TOPS (8 × 5,000, INT8 / FP4 sparse)
Memory8 × 128 GB LPDDR6, 600 GB/s per module
Power draw0.85 kW compute; ≈ 1.9 kW with 40 cameras, 6 lidars and 3 navigation radars — 0.003% of the 72 MWe plant
Process node2 nm-class SoCs; safety controllers on a mature 16 nm node, 15-year supply; compute is a line-replaceable unit, swapped at mid-life
RedundancyTwo racks in separate compartments. Every sensor is wired to both racks. Each module is primary for its zone and hot standby for its twin in the other rack; either rack alone runs the ship. A software fault can never drive the destroyer outside its certified safe envelope.
Safety channel4 × SIL 3 controllers with their own sensors: turbine overspeed and flame-out trips, shaft encoders, rudder-angle sensors, battery string monitors, fire and flood detectors, and a safety-rated collision radar
Sensors40 cameras (28 visible 4K, 12 thermal) on automotive Ethernet through camera aggregation switches; 6 lidars for close manoeuvring, 3 navigation radars, AIS, 3,000 plant sensors; combat sensors are separate
DrivesMotor drives close their own current loop at 1 kHz; the modules send speed and rudder set-points at 10 Hz
LinkProtected satellite and line-of-sight links; planning model aboard; remote command ashore
Power management is an AI job on this ship: the engineering modules decide second by second what the turbines make and what the battery gives, so radar pulses and sprints never stall the bus. Navigation and perception mirror across two racks. Weapons and combat sensors are on their own systems under remote command.
Today vs IC
Today’s destroyer beside the IC design
Today · destroyer in serviceIC design
Prime movers4 × aeroderivative gas turbines, ≈ 19.6 MW each2 × 36 MW gas-turbine generators, plus a 20 MWh battery bank
DriveMechanical: 2 turbines per shaft → reduction gear → 2 shaftsIntegrated electric: one 13.8 kV bus feeds propulsion, radar and mission systems
Power≈ 100,000 shp, ≈ 75 MW72 MWe generated; ≈ 62 MW at the shafts
Propellers2 × five-blade controllable-pitch2 × five-blade fixed-pitch; the motors reverse
Range4,400 nm at 20 kn4,500 nm at 20 kn on ≈ 1,100 t of fuel
Crew3590; remote command ashore
The IC column is the design shown on this page. Sources for the Today column are listed in BUILD_NOTES.md.
Runs on The Brain
The Brain places this ship in the fleet’s plan, re-solves the escort screen with the ships it guards, mirrors it in the fleet’s digital twin, and re-plans the moment the picture changes.