The US Navy's most expensive destroyer has broken down in the Panama Canal and needed assistance to be brought back to port.

The USS Zumwalt suffered an engineering problem yesterday and lost propulsion, the Guardian reported.

US Third Fleet spokesman commander Ryan Perry said: "The schedule for the ship will remain flexible to enable testing and evaluation in order to ensure the ship’s safe transit to her new home port in San Diego."

Crew also saw water getting into bearings that connect electrical motors to driveshafts, a US Naval Institute publication reported.

The ship is believed to have suffered minor cosmetic damage.

What makes it the most sophisticated destroyers ever built is - among other things - its angular shape to minimise its radar signature.

It was built at Bath Iron Works and cost more than $4.4bn.

 

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