The US Navy’s effort to equip its three Zumwalt-class destroyers with the conventional prompt strike (CPS) hypersonic missile has fallen 24 months behind schedule, according to a new report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), raising fresh concerns over the timeline for fielding the navy’s next-generation long-range strike capability.

The report, published on July 17, found that the Navy’s modernization program for the DDG 1000 class continues to face technical and programmatic challenges, while the CPS missile itself has encountered funding, testing, quality, and production issues that have delayed the overall effort.