The Navy's futuristic new destroyer will be helmed by a real-life Capt. Kirk

This week, the future USS Zumwalt left dry dock in Maine and floated into the waters of the Kennebec River. When completed, it will be the largest and most technologically advanced destroyer in the Navy's fleet. Of course, for $3.5 billion (about three times the cost of other destroyers), it better be pretty impressive.

Rival fleets don't have to worry just yet; the ship, the first of three planned Zumwalt-class destroyers, is scheduled to enter the Navy in 2014 and probably won't be operational until 2016. But when that time comes, they better watch out, because …

1. It's stealthy

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The Zumwalt-class destroyer looks like a spaceship for a reason. Its angular, sloped hull is made of a lightweight carbon fiber composite which supposedly makes it 50 times harder to spot on radar than other ships. In fact, with its unique shape and narrow build, it has the "radar cross-section of a fishing boat," Navy spokesman Chris Johnson told CNN.

2. It's huge

Opposing navies expecting a fishing boat will be unpleasantly surprised. This ship measures 610 feet long, larger than any other destroyer in the Navy. That is two feet longer than the USS Arizona, the battleship sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor, despite the fact that the USS Zumwalt will weigh only half as much.

To understand just how big this ship is, check out this time-lapsed footage of a section of its hull being constructed in 2012.

3. It's seriously wired

The ship's advanced computer system means it will be able to operate with only half the manpower of the Navy's other destroyers. Its operations center will feature touch-screen consoles and software smart enough to take over almost any crew member's tasks. It will also feature wireless connectivity — meaning, according to Ars Technica, that the crew will be able to check in on the USS Zumwalt's systems from anywhere on the ship.

Before, on-board computers were limited by the need to be rugged, in order to survive the shock of fired guns and missiles. The USS Zumwalt, however, protects its computer hardware in 16 self-contained data centers, each measuring 35-feet long and built to protect against violent shocks, power surges, and interference from the ship's advanced radar system.

4. It's well-armed

The destroyer's two Advanced Gun Systems (AGS) basically fire themselves — reloading and disposing of spent shells without the need of a crew. Its computer-guided ammunition can hit targets 63 nautical miles away, about triple the distance of its predecessors.

If that wasn't enough, the ship is also capable of launching Tomahawk and Sea Sparrow missiles, and can carry four unmanned military drones or two helicopters.