How the U.S. Empire Deceives Its Public
15 March 2026, by Eric Zuesse. (All of my recent articles can be seen here.)
A good example is provided in Germany’s Munich Mercury newspaper, which headlined on March 14th, “Eight-billion-dollar refit: US destroyer leaves port – on board a weapon that is almost impossible to defend against.”, and reported: “On board: twelve Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missiles. The ship is now considered a pioneer of a new era in naval warfare. This development is of strategic importance for Europe and NATO. The US is demonstrating its technological superiority in the field of hypersonic weapons.”
Russia has many operational hypersonic missiles, both for offense (attack) and for defense (interception of incoming warheads), and these missiles furthermore are designed to have evasive impossible-to-predict flight-paths so that even if they are detected before hitting their targets, and even if they are detected sufficiently ahead-of-time so as to be otherwise able to be intercepted, the interceptor’s missile still cannot hit them, because of the incoming missile’s unpredictable flight-path. This combination of ultra-speed and ultra-unpredictability places Russia years ahead of the U.S., which spends over ten times as much on its military as Russia does; and, so, for example, the most objective of the rating-systems of the world’s militaries, that of U.S. News & World Report, ranks Russia as having the world’s best military (U.S. is #2, and Israel is #3), but also, the military experts who have displayed the highest predictive accuracy in the recent past also say that Russia’s is the best.
This March 14th Munich Mercury article is conveying the impression that America (the master-nation to its German colony) is now starting to catch up with Russia militarily.
However, back on 19 August 2025, that same newspaper had headlined “Nonsensical hypersonic hype: USA upgrades with “Dark Eagle””, and dealt in a different way with the empire’s need to persuade their public that America really is, with its gargantuan military budget which is 65% of the entire word’s expenditures on the military, militarily competitive against Russia and so Germany is safe by joining the post-WW2 world’s biggest threat to peace, America (which sells by far more weapons than does any other country, and whose weapons-manufacturers are by far America’s most profitable companies), in order finally for Germany to get back at Russia for Russia’s having defeated them in WW2 (as both FDR and Churchill recognized at the time -- though today’s U.S. empire denies).
Here are the sources:
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ORIGINAL
“Acht-Milliarden-Umbau: US-Zerstörer verlässt Hafen – an Bord eine Waffe, die kaum abzuwehren ist”
TRANSLATION
March 14, 2026, 9:49 PM
From: Carmen Mörwald
Eight billion dollars, twelve hypersonic missiles: The US Navy has radically rebuilt its most powerful destroyer. What this means for NATO.
Washington – The US Navy has completed a major refit of the USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000). The world’s largest destroyer has left port for final testing. On board: twelve Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missiles. The ship is now considered a pioneer of a new era in naval warfare. This development is of strategic importance for Europe and NATO . The US is demonstrating its technological superiority in the field of hypersonic weapons .
The USS Zumwalt was originally designed as a land-attack destroyer. The naval vessel weighs 16,000 tons and is considered the largest destroyer in the world. According to the US defense and security policy magazine 19FortyFive, the total cost of its modernization amounts to approximately eight billion dollars.
US Navy upgrades destroyer – ship has already left port
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Notice that that article links to the following, which actually DENIES that “The US is demonstrating its technological superiority in the field of hypersonic weapons,” and which cites America’s still failing, after a decade of trying to achieve what Russia (and China, and North Korea, and now also Iran) have already achieved. This article reports that despite America’s having invested vastly more on these technologies than those countries have, America STILL is way behind them in these extremely crucial military technologies — and this is the very same article that the Merkur article had linked to as being its source:
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https://ghostarchive.org/archive/pONgQ
“How The U.S. Navy Built An $8 Billion ‘Stealth’ Destroyer For A World That No Longer Exists”
Brandon J. Weichert, Senior National Security Editor at 19FortyFive, evaluates the Zumwalt-class (DDG-1000) as a “technological white elephant” of the post-Cold War era. While the class was nearly sunk by the failure of its 155mm Advanced Gun System (AGS)—a $24.5 billion program that produced only three ships—the U.S. Navy is currently executing a high-stakes “redemption arc.”
By Brandon Weichert Published 14 March 2026
Summary and Key Points: National security editor Brandon J. Weichert evaluates the Zumwalt-class destroyers, originally designed for land-attack missions that became obsolete.
-As of March 14, 2026, the USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) has completed its January sea trials following a radical overhaul at Ingalls Shipbuilding.
-This report analyzes the removal of the failed Advanced Gun System in favor of a 12-round Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic battery.
-Weichert explores the $24.5 billion program’s cost-to-capability ratio, concluding that while the class remains a controversial “sunk cost,” its 2026 rebirth as a stealthy hypersonic launcher offers a new 1,700-mile deterrent against near-peer adversaries.
[UNSUPPORTED SUB-HEADLINE:] Zumwalt-Class Redemption: Why the Navy’s $8 Billion “White Elephant” is Now a Hypersonic Powerhouse
The U.S. Navy, like so many elements of American culture, started to believe the hype at the end of the Cold War: that it was the end of history as we knew it.
The “End of History” Navy Built the Wrong Fleet
All major questions and arguments had been settled. America was the unipolar power now—forever—and the U.S. military need not be as large or operate in the same way it had.
Instead, the U.S. military could become the equivalent of a constabulary force policing the global commons.
This all occurred alongside the high-tech revolution of the late 1980s and early 1990s. You had some truly strange ideas percolating in the Pentagon during this time. And one of the strangest ideas was the Zumwalt-class stealth destroyer.
A Stealth Warship Built for the Wrong Kind of War
The ship was designed to employ the same ideas that undergirded the U.S. Air Force’s stealth plane capabilities and put them onto a major warship class.
The Zumwalt was meant to be the destroyer of the 21st century. It certainly had a science-fiction appearance—and the exorbitant price tag to go along with it.
Because the strategic threats the Americans faced in the 1990s and early 2000s were decentralized networks of terrorists, rogue state actors, and criminal cartels—and the assumption was that the United States would only fight such relatively weak groups for the foreseeable future—the Zumwalt-class destroyers were really meant for land-attack missions first.
Zumwalt-Class Destroyer U.S. Navy.
But the world changed almost as quickly as the Soviet Union had collapsed. And the technology of the Zumwalt-class was not as advanced as the Navy had assumed it would be.
The Advanced Gun System That Had No Ammunition
For starters, the 155-mm Advanced Gun System turned out to be an expensive dud. The shells required for the 155-mm guns did not exist, and the Navy could not mass-produce these systems because the specialized munitions cost anywhere between $800,000-$1 million per round.
The Zumwalt project itself was an expensive affair.
A $24 Billion Program That Produced Only Three Ships
According to 19FortyFive writer Isaac Seitz, individual Zumwalt-class destroyers cost around $8 billion per ship, and the program ran the Navy about $24.5 billion total. The development of these warships also ran over their original budget and over schedule.
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And with the loss of its main gun, these ships floated in an unknown state. It looked as though the Zumwalt-class destroyers were dead in the water. There were, of course, numerous other technical problems with these expensive warships. But the most important issue was the fact that it was declawed at the outset.
The Hypersonic Gamble to Save a Failed Ship
The Zumwalts were a developmental dead-end, and a costly one. Yet, the Pentagon, never one to acknowledge the realities of the sunk cost fallacy, is trying to revive these ships. Essentially, Washington wants to turn the Zumwalts into hypersonic-weapon launchers, by installing the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) missiles.
FROM 2016: The U.S. Navy’s newest warship, USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) passes Coronado bridge on its way to Naval Base San Diego. Zumwalt is the lead ship of a class of next-generation multi-mission destroyers, now homeported in San Diego. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony N. Hilkowski/Released)
USS Zumwalt. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
SAN DIEGO (Dec. 7, 2018) The Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) arrives in homeport of San Diego. The future USS Michael Monsoor is the second ship in the Zumwalt-class of guided- missile destroyers and will undergo a combat availability and test period. The ship is scheduled to be commissioned into the U.S. Navy Jan 26, 2019 in Coronado, Cailf. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Nicholas Huynh/Released)
If it works, this plan would extend the weapons range of the destroyers to more than 1,700 miles. It was originally just 60 miles.
Nevertheless, this is going to be a costly and time-consuming endeavor. The CPS is not operational, but it is being designed to hit high-value targets anywhere in the world in less than an hour employing non-nuclear, hypersonic glide vehicles.
The Real Lesson of the Zumwalt
While the CPS has achieved some important milestones in its testing phases, including cold-gas launch methodologies that eject the missile from the ship before booster ignition, the technology is still in its earliest design phases. In fact, according to a 2024 report, there is no current timeline for the system reliably demonstrating even initial operational capability. It is classified as a work in progress by the Navy.
Zumwalt-Class. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
210421-N-FC670-1062 PACIFIC OCEAN (April 21, 2021) Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) participates in U.S. Pacific Fleet’s Unmanned Systems Integrated Battle Problem (UxS IBP) 21, April 21. UxS IBP 21 integrates manned and unmanned capabilities into challenging operational scenarios to generate warfighting advantages. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Shannon Renfroe)
SAN DIEGO (Dec. 8, 2016) The guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) arrives at its new homeport in San Diego. Zumwalt, the Navy’s most technologically advanced surface ship, will now begin installation of combat systems, testing and evaluation and operation integration with the fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Emiline L. M. Senn/Released)
So, again, the Zumwalts are being brought out to push forward yet another experimental weapons system that is unlikely to work anytime soon.
Would not the money spent on the Zumwalts have been better spent on developing unmanned systems? Or simply invested in building reliable hypersonic weapons before trying to integrate them into a failed warship design such as the Zumwalt-class?
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And here was the earlier Merkur article that had argued that the reason why America doesn’t yet have this technology is that it simply isn’t worth developing — that America doesn’t want to waste money on it (though America actually CONTINUES TO DO SO — wasting money on trying to develop this technology that those OTHER countries did NOT waste money on, and consequently they already HAVE this technology):
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“Unsinniger Hyperschall-Hype: USA rüsten mit „Dark Eagle“
“Nonsensical hypersonic hype: USA upgrades with “Dark Eagle””
August 19, 2025, 4:47 AM, From: Karsten-Dirk Hinzmann
Blinding plumes of exhaust: The Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) is slated to be one of the ships retrofitted with “Dark Eagle” hypersonic missiles. Analysts fear this could compromise the ship’s stealth capabilities. © IMAGO/piemags
The rocket with the new drive: steep ascent, steep descent, and a stealthy glide to its target. The military is thrilled, and analysts are stunned.
Washington, DC – “The U.S. Department of Defense has announced that the lethal effect of the hypersonic missile, which forms the core of the Army’s Dark Eagle Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), is still unclear,” writes Thomas Newdick. Earlier this year, the author for The War Zone (TWZ) magazine reported that Donald Trump’s military was apparently having doubts about its new weapon. Newsweek, in turn, reports that a unit equipped with hypersonic weapons is expected to be operational by the end of September. The weapon, dubbed “Dark Eagle,” is thus close to being ready for combat and is intended to intimidate U.S. adversaries – Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Xi Jinping’s China , or Kim Jong-un ’s North Korea – most likely launching a new round in the arms race between the superpowers.
“The ‘groundbreaking’ hypersonic weapon, which can be launched from land or truck, will ‘offer superior capabilities to meet the demands of joint warfare,’” Newsweek quoted Vice Admiral Johnny Wolfe Jr. as saying in mid-December 2024. According to the director of the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Systems Program, the U.S. had responded with this missile to Russia’s surprise Oreshnik missile (meaning “hazel tree” or “hazel bush”). This weapon struck a Ukrainian military-industrial facility in Dnipro in November 2024, prompting NATO to consider the technological capabilities of Russia’s military .
Hypersonic waves in the Pacific conflict: “They could hypothetically reach almost any place in the world within minutes”
Hypersonic weapons are defined as aircraft capable of flying faster than five times the speed of sound (Mach 5), or at least 6,174 kilometers per hour. These missiles can be launched from any platform, meaning they are usable by all branches of the armed forces. “Weapons fired from dispersed ships and long-range aircraft could hypothetically reach almost any location in the world within minutes,” writes Sidney E. Dean. Hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) and hypersonic cruise missiles (HMFs) are considered the main representatives of this weapon category. In the German reservist magazine “ loyal “ at the end of 2024, the author explained that the USA would emerge from the shadow of its competitors in this weapon category.
“Both the US’s biggest rivals – Russia and China – and regional adversaries like North Korea and Iran have stated that they have developed and deployed hypersonic missiles. One expert told Newsweek that ‘nobody wants to drop out of this arms race.’”
- Ryan Chan, Newsweek -
Oreshnik, Avangard, and Kinzhal are systems that Russia is already using in the Ukraine war; but China is also making progress. Dean points to a Chinese test from August 2021: A Long March launch vehicle delivered a hypersonic glide vehicle into low Earth orbit. “Although the actual target was missed by 40 kilometers, China thereby demonstrated the fundamental capability to circumvent existing US interceptor systems by routing intercontinental attack routes over the South Pole instead of, as before, via the North Polar route,” as he writes in loyal.
The US must therefore quickly improve its capabilities. Or should it? David Wright and Cameron Tracy argue that the US could safely let its competitors go ahead: “Hypersonic weapons are mediocre. It’s time to stop wasting money on them,” they write in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The US government under Democratic President Joe Biden had been convinced of the necessity of this weapon; Donald Trump apparently follows this line, even though he has downgraded the importance of the Navy for future investments, even though the Navy is supposed to be the primary beneficiary of the new weapons. As Thomas Newdick reported in TWZ , the “Dark Eagle” was intended to arm the Navy’s three Zumwalt-class stealth destroyers and future Virginia-class (Block V) submarines.
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A clear signal to Putin, Kim and Xi: “The Dark Eagle is truly ready for deployment”
As the US Naval Institute adds, the missiles are also to be retrofitted on Virginia-class attack craft. “The USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002) is the first destroyer to be equipped with the conventional immediate strike capability. According to the Navy’s latest budget documents, the Navy intends to complete the installation of the hypersonic missiles on the three ships by the last quarter of fiscal year 2028,” writes Aaron-Metthew Lariosa for USNI News , the US Naval Institute.
During an exercise recently conducted by the U.S. Army in Australia, the weapon proved its operational readiness, Newsweek reports , citing Army sources. “The Dark Eagle is truly ready for deployment,” the magazine quotes Captain Jennifer Lee as saying; the commander of the LRHW unit known as “Bravo Battery” emphasized that “the exercise demonstrated the capabilities of the weapon system and confirmed the readiness and capability of the unit to defend U.S. allies and partners ,” according to Newsweek writer Ryan Chan.
Hypersonic weapons are overrated, according to David Wright and Cameron Tracy – in their view, the concrete military benefits of these weapons remain unclear. They base their argument on studies from various sources and implicitly suggest that one side is acquiring them because the other is preparing for their deployment: “In Russia and China, decision-makers may be similarly fascinated by the magical claims of their military advisors about hypersonic weapons, without understanding the nuances behind them,” they write. According to them, most of these weapons are boost-glide missiles, which are accelerated to hypersonic speeds by rocket engines and then travel hundreds to thousands of kilometers without propulsion.
Trump’s illusion: The flight characteristics of these weapons hardly justify the high costs.
The expected advantage was that these weapons would climb steeply in the initial flight phase, then, after a short ascent, descend in an equally steep turn, before gliding towards their target in a very shallow trajectory. Systems currently in use exhibit a comparatively wide ballistic trajectory. According to the Bulletin of the American Atomic Scientists, the advantages of low-level flight were seen in three points: inconspicuousness due to the reduced range of ground-based radars, maneuverability during the very long glide phase, and flying below the effective ranges of long-range missile defense systems, which can only operate above the atmosphere.
David Wright and Cameron Tracy vehemently deny this assumption, basing their argument on various analyses: They write that the launch of these weapons alone would produce such bright exhaust plumes that early warning systems could locate them even during the launch phase. Furthermore, they argue that the weapons’ maneuverability during their glide phase is overestimated. The effort required for course corrections would be too costly, which in turn makes them vulnerable: “The high drag that hypersonic weapons experience at low altitude slows them down and makes them easier targets for these defense systems ,” Wright and Tracy state. Overall, they conclude, the flight characteristics of these weapons hardly justify the high costs.
Hypersonic hype surrounding Taiwan: Insiders warn that “nobody wants to drop out of this arms race”
The “Dark Eagle” hypersonic missiles, tested in Australia during the Talisman Sabre 2025 exercise, will now remain stationed there, Newsweek reports. The US aims to secure an advantage in a potential conflict with China over Taiwan’s autonomy. The hypersonic missiles are operated by a battery of four launchers, each carrying two missiles, a battery command and control vehicle, writes Aaron Matthew-Lariosa for USNI News . The “Dark Eagle” is said to have a range of approximately 3,000 kilometers. They are apparently stationed in the north of the country. This means that “potential Chinese targets are within the Dark Eagle’s operational range, including critical facilities in the South China Sea and along the border with Taiwan,” writes Anna Ahronheim.
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In her report , the Jerusalem Post author also quotes a retired colonel from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army who reportedly hinted to the South China Morning Post at what scientists David Wright and Cameron Tracy had already suspected: that hypersonic weapons had apparently become a hype among the military. “In terms of weapons, it’s not that they have something we don’t have... What we have is perhaps even better than theirs,” Zhou Bo is said to have remarked. The US magazine Newsweek also subtly expresses doubts about the weapon’s purely military value, as Ryan Chan writes.
“Both the US’s biggest rivals – Russia and China – and regional adversaries like North Korea and Iran have stated that they have developed and deployed hypersonic missiles. One expert told Newsweek that ‘nobody wants to drop out of this arms race.’”
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The corruptness of America’s military is astoundingly high, and that’s what America gets for spending 65% of the entire world’s military expenditures — high profits despite vastly inferior results.
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Investigative historian Eric Zuesse’s latest book, AMERICA’S EMPIRE OF EVIL: Hitler’s Posthumous Victory, and Why the Social Sciences Need to Change, is about how America took over the world after World War II in order to enslave it to U.S.-and-allied billionaires. Their cartels extract the world’s wealth by control of not only their ‘news’ media but the social ‘sciences’ — duping the public.
American media are not in the business of informing readers but of keeping them in the dark. Patrick Lawrence's latest: "America is the only country in history that is able to run a global empire and its own people can’t see it. We have entered into a kind of great illusion. I call it the empire of pretend.”