Zumwalt christening postponed

WASHINGTON -- The Navy said today that the christening of the future USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000), originally scheduled for Oct. 19, has been postponed indefinately. "It is incredibly unfortunate that we are being forced to cancel the christening ceremony for this great warship," said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, "but the ongoing government shutdown prevents us from being able to honor Admiral Zumwalt's memory with a ceremony befitting his and his family's legacy of service to our nation and our Navy." The ship is the first of a new class of next generation destroyers designed for sustained operations in the littorals. (Source: NNS, 10/11/13) The ship was built by Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. Large composite structures on the ship, including the deckhouse, were fabricated in Gulfport, Miss., by Ingalls Shipbuilding.