The US Navy has been forced to temporarily retire USS Zumwalt, its most advanced warship, due to a major malfunction.
The $4.4 billion guided missile destroyer broke down for unknown reasons on Monday while it was crossing the Panama Canal and remained there for damage assessments.
“The timeline for repairs is being determined now,” US Navy Commander Ryan Perry told CNN in a statement on Wednesday.
He noted that the warship was directed by the commander of the US Third Fleet, Vice Admiral Nora Tyson to stay at ex-Naval Station Rodman in Panama until the cause of the malfunction was determined.
The Zumwalt was on its way to its home port of San Diego, California, where it would join the US Third Fleet and perform missions in the Pacific Ocean.
Debuted in May, the ship introduced a new class of warships that the Pentagon boasted were going to be the most advanced vessels ever built.
The warship features a futuristic angular design, which reportedly…