Developments in Warship Design and Engineering

Abstract

Warships, together with their weapons and major sub-systems, take ten to fifteen years to design and build and then spend twenty-five years or more in service. The Royal Navy fleet of today was designed during the Cold War for conditions rather different from those now pertaining. Designs now on the drawing board (or, more correctly, on the computer screen) and the research and development required to underpin them are aimed at requirements where the enemy threat is uncertain, warfare technology proceeds apace and the need for maximum value for money in reduced defence budgets is paramount. Developments in weapon systems and command, control and communication systems are impressive and far reaching. However, developments in surface warship and submarine naval architecture and marine engineering are potentially as important to the long-term effectiveness and affordability of the Fleet. This paper looks at the technologies being considered for future designs with emphasis on hull and marine engineering developments. These include novel hull forms such as the trimaran and possibly the next major step in surface warship propulsion—the all-electric ship with electric transmission and low fuel consumption gas turbines as prime movers for electricity generation. The paper also discusses the importance of ‘human factors’ in the design process, the increasing use of commercial standards to control costs of both hardware and software, and improvements in naval ship and submarine design tools for use in the crucial concept design phase.