The US Navy on Saturday christened the first of its newest class of destroyers – the more than $3 billion (£1.8 billion), 610-foot (186-metre)-long USS Zumwalt.

Named after the late Admiral Elmo “Bud” Zumwalt, the warship sports advanced technology and a stealthy shape designed to minimise its visibility on enemy radar and reduce the size of its crew.

Among the 15,000-tonne destroyer's cutting-edge features are a composite deckhouse with hidden radar and sensors and an angular shape that officials say will allow it to be confused for a small fishing boat on radars. It also has a wave-piercing hull designed to reduce the ship's wake.

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It's the first US ship to use electric propulsion and produces enough power to one day support the futuristic electromagnetic rail gun, which will be tested at sea in 2016.

Rail guns fire a projectile at six or seven times the speed of sound – enough velocity to cause severe damage. The Navy sees them as replacing or supplementing old-school guns.

In the future, it could also be fitted with even more advanced weaponry. This summer, the US Navy plans to test the viability of a laser weapon device in the Persian Gulf. It will be used to shoot down aerial drones at ultra-low cost – it is thought one shot of laser will cost about $1.

Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: The world's biggest aircraft carriers Show all 10 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: The world's biggest aircraft carriers 1/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers Last year Japan unveiled a new $1.2bn warship, its largest since the Second World War AP/KYODO NEWS 2/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth, the UK’s £3bn attempt to keep up with US WIKIMEDIA/CHRISPAD34E 3/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers A grainy image uploaded via Google as an open source picture, and circulated throughout blogs across the world, this is thought to be part of a huge new class of Chinese carrier GOOGLE 4/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers An artist's drawing of the USS Gerald R. Ford, to replace the Nimitz in around 2016. With a displacement of 112,000 tons, it will be the biggest warship in the world US NAVY 5/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers The Japanese competition for naval domination, the former Varyag aircraft carrier, renamed the Liaoning by the Chinese navy once they bought it, will be used as a training vessel for a new class US NAVY 6/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers One of Europe's largest aircraft carriers, but at 858ft and 42,000 tons displacement, it is still much smaller than anything the US can offer. Notably a similar length (if a lot heavier) to the new Izumo US NAVY 7/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers The Arleigh Burke class destroyer - the US's current type for its size. With a length of 505ft (154m) it is significantly smaller than the Izumo US NAVY 8/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers The 10 Nimitz class aircraft carriers are the largest in the world. At around 1,092ft (332,8m) and a displacement of 110,000 tons, they are the current kings of the ocean. US NAVY 9/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers A size comparison between the USS George Washington, a Nimitz class aircraft carrier, and the current largest Japanese offering, the Hyuga class, on the right US NAVY 10/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers The Zumwalt class is the future of destroyers, as envisioned by the US Navy. It will include a hybrid energy system with an electric engine that could one day be used for futuristic laser weaponry. It will combine the functions of a surface battleship and a naval-combat submarine. US NAVY 1/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers Last year Japan unveiled a new $1.2bn warship, its largest since the Second World War AP/KYODO NEWS 2/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth, the UK’s £3bn attempt to keep up with US WIKIMEDIA/CHRISPAD34E 3/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers A grainy image uploaded via Google as an open source picture, and circulated throughout blogs across the world, this is thought to be part of a huge new class of Chinese carrier GOOGLE 4/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers An artist's drawing of the USS Gerald R. Ford, to replace the Nimitz in around 2016. With a displacement of 112,000 tons, it will be the biggest warship in the world US NAVY 5/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers The Japanese competition for naval domination, the former Varyag aircraft carrier, renamed the Liaoning by the Chinese navy once they bought it, will be used as a training vessel for a new class US NAVY 6/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers One of Europe's largest aircraft carriers, but at 858ft and 42,000 tons displacement, it is still much smaller than anything the US can offer. Notably a similar length (if a lot heavier) to the new Izumo US NAVY 7/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers The Arleigh Burke class destroyer - the US's current type for its size. With a length of 505ft (154m) it is significantly smaller than the Izumo US NAVY 8/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers The 10 Nimitz class aircraft carriers are the largest in the world. At around 1,092ft (332,8m) and a displacement of 110,000 tons, they are the current kings of the ocean. US NAVY 9/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers A size comparison between the USS George Washington, a Nimitz class aircraft carrier, and the current largest Japanese offering, the Hyuga class, on the right US NAVY 10/10 The world's biggest aircraft carriers The Zumwalt class is the future of destroyers, as envisioned by the US Navy. It will include a hybrid energy system with an electric engine that could one day be used for futuristic laser weaponry. It will combine the functions of a surface battleship and a naval-combat submarine. US NAVY

It is also hoped the Zumwalt will, like its reformer namesake who spearheaded changes that helped shape the Navy by offering new opportunities to women and minorities, shepherd the fleet into a new era, officials said.

“This ship is a modern marvel, and it's going to take smart and creative and hardworking sailors like Bud Zumwalt to operate it,” Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus told the crowd of thousands at Bath Iron Works, where the ship has been under construction since 2009.

Mouzetta Zumwalt-Weathers and Ann Zumwalt, the former admiral's daughters, each christened the ship by smashing a bottle of champagne near its bow, followed by cheers and bursts of red, white and blue streamers. They were joined at the ceremony by Zumwalt's son, retired Marine Lt. Col. Jim Zumwalt, who recalled 55 years ago, as a young boy, attending the christening of the USS Dewey, which his father commanded.

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Bud Zumwalt, who became the youngest chief of naval operations in 1970, promoted the first female and African-American officers to admirals and opened the door for women to become naval aviators and serve on warships.

“He strove for a Navy that was supportive, encouraging and compassionate toward all sailors, especially minorities and women,” his daughter Ann said.

“A Navy that not only fought wars but also fought discrimination in its ranks. He dreamt of a Navy that allowed its sailors a better quality of life.”

Inside, sailors will have more space to work and live because the Zumwalt will only require about half the crew of the current generation of destroyers. Meanwhile, fewer sailors will need to stand watch because of cameras and video monitors that show what's going on outside.

That will allow the Navy to “carry out its crucial mission at a time of budget constraints,” said US Senator Susan Collins of Maine.

The Zumwalt was originally supposed to be christened in October, but the ceremony was rescheduled because of the federal government shutdown. The ship is expected to be delivered to the Navy late this year and to enter service in 2016. It will be joined by two other destroyers in its class, which are also being built in Bath.

Additional reporting by Associated Press