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Naval Ship Design and Construction: Topics for the Research and Development Community

Presented to:National Academy of Sciences

Committee on Naval Engineering in the 21st Century10 June 2010

VADM Paul E. Sullivan, USN (Ret)

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Thesis

• We have the best Navy in the world

– Most technologically advanced– Most lethal– Most reliable– Forward-deployed day in and day

out– Multi-mission– Able to affect the political

landscape as an instrument of National Policy

• So, what’s the problem?

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Cost is threatening our future

• The Navy today– Approximately 280 ships– Approximately 3500 airplanes– 325,000 people– 50 plus percent underway– 35 percent forward deployed

• CNO stated requirement – 313 to 324 battle force ships

• 30-year shipbuilding plan can’t get us there on current SCN plan

• Budget cuts are coming – SCN is $13-17 Billion per year, what will it be in the future?

We cannot continue to run our Navy at current rates, and we cannot recapitalize it without action now on affordability

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Naval 2020-2024 Baseline Force Level Type/ClassFY 2009

• Aircraft Carriers 11

•Large Surface Combatants 88

•Small Surface Combatants 55

•Attack Submarines 48

•Guided Missile Submarines 4

•Ballistic Missile Submarines 14

•Amphibious Warfare Ships 31

•Combat Logistics Force Ships 30

•Maritime Prepositioning Force (Future) 12

•Support Ships 20

•Total Battleforce Level 313

Source: 30-year

Shipbuilding Plan

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Major Shipbuilding needs – next 30 years

• Continuous construction of Aircraft Carriers (and their air wings)

• OHIO-class replacement

• Missile defense

• Surface combatant renewal/expansion– Aegis fleet– FFG/Corvette– LCS buildout

• Amphibious Lift

• Command Ships

• Missions we have not thought of yet

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Needed – pervasive cost reduction strategies for acquisition and life-cycle cost

• Cultural changes – Requirements– Design philosophy– Construction methods

• Process changes– Design tools– Collaboration– Modeling

• Technology improvements – steer toward cost reduction

R&D Community can assist all three basic areas

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Culture Changes

• Require pervasive commonality– “Type/Model/Series” reduction

• Ships• Combat Systems

– Major Shipboard equipment– Components and distributed systems

• Finish the design before construction

• Early involvement of shipbuilders

• Invest in Modular Outfitting and separate construction of payloads

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Process Changes

• Develop Systems Engineering tradeoffs – 2 Pass, 6 Gate process

• Develop Robust Ship Costing Analytic tools

• Develop higher fidelity physics tools for ship design

• Utilize and have faith in Collaboration Tools

• Foster collaborative cost reduction environment

• Exploit database mining to reduce risk and uncertainty

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Technology Changes• Shift from metals to composites

• Shift from hydraulic/pneumatic actuation to electric actuation

• Develop life-of-ship coatings

• Develop electric ship to fullest potential

• Re-engineer construction joining processes

• Standardize and improve shipboard network design

• Shift motive power for shipboard applications from hydraulics and pneumatics to electromechanical

• Improve bearing surfaces and lubricants

• Mandate Energy Efficiency

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Honor SECNAV’s Energy Efficiency Goals

• Mandatory evaluation factors for contract award the include energy costs

• Sail a “green” strike group with alternative fuels and propulsion systems by 2012

• Reduce petroleum use in non-tactical vehicles (not a ship action)

• Increase alternative energy ashore (not a ship action but related)

• Increase alternative energy use Navy-wide

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Conclusions

• We need more ships and aircraft to accomplish our mission, not less

• Our nation won’t increase our budget– 9 years of war– Fiscal pressure– Other National priorities

• We can’t achieve the numbers unless we get substantially cheaper – quickly

• R&D Community can help, not just with technology, but also with cultural and process changes

• This is a team sport

• We must act now!