The U.S. military has two classes of destroyers: the Arleigh Burke-class with a crew of between 303 and 323, and the Zumwalt-class with a crew of 158.
Throughout its history, the destroyer has been one of the most important and powerful vessels in the United States Navy fleet. Primarily tasked with ship escort and fleet protection roles, a destroyer is also capable of conducting anti-aircraft and anti-submarine operations. For the American military, there are currently two different classes of destroyers serving in its naval force: the Arleigh Burke-class and the Zumwalt-class, both of which are considered some of the most powerful destroyers in the world. To operate these formidable ships, the Arleigh Burke class has a crew of between 303 and 323, depending on the variant, while the Zumwalt has 158 sailors.
Commissioned in 1991, the Arleigh Burke class is one of the modern destroyers of the American Navy and was created to succeed the Charles F. Adams class. More advanced than its predecessor, the Arleigh Burke class is equipped with the latest technologies in communications, electronic warfare, and weaponry. Designed to be stealthy and now armed with the latest in missile technology, the Zumwalt-class destroyer was a product of the Naval DD(X) program of the 1990s and was commissioned in 2016.
