[12] Designed as multi-mission ships with an emphasis on land attack and littoral warfare,[13] the class features the tumblehome hull form, reminiscent of ironclad warships.

[14] In January 2013, the Navy solicited bids for a steel deckhouse as an option for Lyndon B. Johnson instead of the composite structures of the other ships in the class.

The Zumwalt class has been identified as more suited to use emerging technologies, like railguns, due to its superior electricity generation capability over previous destroyers and cruisers at 80 megawatts; Lyndon B. Johnson specifically was being studied because it is the latest of the class, while the previous two ships would be less likely to initially field the capability due to the testing schedule.

[18] In September 2015, it was reported that U.S. Department of Defense officials were considering terminating funding for Lyndon B. Johnson prior to her completion.

[4][27] On 12 January 2022, the ship left Bath for Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, where combat systems will be activated, with entry into service reportedly expected in 2024.