The USS Zumwalt departs the coast of Maine for its final builder trials on March 21, 2016 (Image: Getty)

The USS Zumwalt, a Navy destroyer years in the making, is a floating piece of technological wonder. But the neatest feature is tricking nearby radar into thinking its massive 610-foot hull is actually just a 50-foot fishing boat. In fact the ship is so good at going undetected, it’s too stealthy.


That’s why the United States Navy plans to affix huge reflectors onto the USS Zumwalt to avoid wreaking havoc on local mariners, which makes sense since this ship is about 50 times more stealthy than current destroyers. The AP also reports that stealth ships sometimes need visibility whether in fog or heavy ship traffic.


Aside from its excellent hiding skills, the USS Zumwalt is the most advanced ship ever built by the US Navy. It can fire new generation rail guns and lasers, and the destroyer features a new tumblehome design, where the hull slants inward rather than outward.

The Zumwalt still has more testing ahead, and won’t be deployed until at least 2018.

[AP]