Royal Norwegian Navy Research Articles

Examining the roots of turnover intentions in the Royal Norwegian Navy, the role of embeddedness, work-life conflict and predictability

Abstract Retaining qualified personnel is a priority for armed forces, and turnover presents a serious problem. This study uses job embeddedness theory to investigate embeddedness factors, predictability and work–life conflict as predictors of turnover intentions in commissioned officers (COs) and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) in the Royal Norwegian Navy. The study posits that career prospects, community fit, organisational fit and organisational links embed personnel and are associated with a reduction in turnover intentions. In addition, the study proposes a mechanism whereby personnel who experience a predictable work schedule have better work–life balance and subsequently lower turnover intentions. Predictability in turn is hypothesised to be associated with the possibility of flexible hours. Using structural equation modelling, we find that embeddedness factors predicted turnover intentions for both personnel categories, but career prospects were the only significant embeddedness factor for NCOs. Predictability was associated with a reduction in turnover intentions via work–life conflict for both groups. In addition, flexible hours showed an effect on work–life conflict for both groups, but through different mechanisms. Overall, the results point to differential actions to reduce turnover between COs and NCOs in the armed forces and conclude with a priority list for actions to reduce turnover in each personnel group.

Lifelong differences in cancer incidence and mortality between subgroups of similar socioeconomic status in the Royal Norwegian Navy

ObjectivesIn a previous cohort study of 28 300 Navy servicemen, vessel crews showed higher cancer incidence and mortality than did land-based personnel. We have extended the follow-up to look for...

Embodying Military Muscles and a Remasculinized West: Influencer Marketing, Fantasy, and “the Face of NATO”

Abstract In 2018, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out Trident Juncture, its largest military exercise since the Cold War. The event was promoted on social media featuring Lasse Matberg as “the face of NATO.” Matberg is an Instagram influencer, model, and lieutenant in the Royal Norwegian Navy, with an impressive physique and Viking looks. He frequently appears on NATO’s social media accounts and lends his own platform to share activities such as working out with the Secretary-General. Drawing on the notion of “fantasmatic logics”, we study how visual narratives of influencer marketing can contribute to making war preparations appear normal, void of political significance and even desirable. The figure of Lasse Matberg is read in conjunction with international rearmament and increasing geopolitical antagonism bound up with ideas of “traditional masculinity” and “feminization.” We argue that the muscular yet ambiguously “soft” figure of Lasse Matberg projects a symbolic remasculinization of the West, operating through a fantasmatic logic that seemingly reconciles the contradiction between a West, which is imperial and militarily muscular on the one hand and caring, democratic, and progressive on the other. By shedding light on NATO's use of influencer marketing to promote a military exercise, this article contributes novel insights into the ways in which the figure of the NATO soldier and NATO military buildup are produced as appealing, allowing an ambivalent gendered geopolitical imaginary to emerge.

Temporal trends in the healthy soldier effect in a cohort of Royal Norwegian Navy servicemen followed for 67 years

ObjectivesTo investigate temporal trends in the ‘healthy soldier effect’ (HSE) among 28 300 Royal Norwegian Navy servicemen who served during 1950–2004.MethodsStandardised mortality ratios (SMRs) for all causes, diseases and external...

Norway's New Multi-Role Logistics and Support Vessel (LSV)

This paper describes the key capabilities and features of the Royal Norwegian Navy’s new multi-role Logistics and Support Vessel, HNoMS Maud, and discusses the benefits and drawbacks of a multi-role vessel considering some typical operational scenarios. It examines some of the design challenges and constraints encountered due to the multi-role nature of the vessel and the implications of standards on the design.

Cancer incidence and all-cause mortality among civilian men and women employed by the Royal Norwegian Navy between 1950 and 2005

ObjectiveWe aimed to investigate cancer incidence and all-cause mortality in a cohort of 8358 civilians (5134 men and 3224 women) employed by the Royal Norwegian Navy at any time between 1950 and 2005. MethodsThe cohort was followed for cancer incidence and all-cause mortality from 1960 through 2015. Standardised incidence ratios (SIR) and mortality ratios (SMR) were calculated from national rates. Separate SIRs were calculated for a subgroup of male workshop workers and another of female cleaners. ResultsOverall cancer incidence among men was similar to the reference rate; male breast cancer was more frequent (SIR = 3.23). Male workshop workers showed a SIR of 1.77 for stomach cancer, while their incidence of lympho-haematopoietic cancers was half that of the reference rates. Women had increased risks of overall cancer (SIR = 1.11), lung cancer (SIR = 1.35), and ovarian cancer (SIR = 1.39). Female cleaners showed a SIR of 2.33 for bladder cancer and a lowered incidence of brain cancer (SIR = 0.18). In the overall cohort, all-cause mortality was lower than expected for men (SMR = 0.92) and closer to the reference rate for women (SMR = 0.95). ConclusionIn men, we observed a lowered all-cause mortality and an excess of stomach cancer in workshop workers. In women, increased risks of overall cancer, lung cancer and ovarian cancer was seen. An increased risk of bladder cancer and a lowered incidence of brain cancer was observed among female cleaners.

Changes in the “healthy soldier effect” by time since start of service in the Royal Norwegian Navy

Introduction A healthy soldier effect (HSE) in terms of lowered mortality is often seen in cohorts of deployed and non-deployed soldiers when they are compared to the general populations. The HSE is mainly due to selection on good health, which takes place before and during military service, a demand to stay fit during service, and, in some countries, probably also better access to medical services during and after service. This effect was also present in a peacetime cohort of 28,300 military men who served in the Royal Norwegian Navy after the Second World War. We have extended the follow-up of this cohort with an attempt to investigate changes over time in HSE. Methods The cohort consists of 28,351 military men – commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers and petty officers, and enlisted personnel – who served in the Royal Norwegian Navy at some time between 1950 and 2004. The cohort members were born between 1883 and 1984, median was 1953 [interquartile range (IQR) 26 years]. Information on date and underlying cause of death was retrieved by linkage to the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry. The registry is regarded as complete back to 1951. All cohort members were followed for the incidence of death from first day of recorded service in the Navy but no earlier than 1 January 1951, until emigration, death or end of follow-up, which was 31 December 2015. Median age of the cohort members was 21.2 years (IQR: 2.2) at start of follow-up. We calculated standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for all-causes combined, for neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases separately, and for external causes based on the entire follow-up and for successive intervals of each person's follow-up period (0–9, 10–19, 20–29, 30–39, 40–49, and 50+ years) since study entry. Results The cohort members were followed up to 65 years, with an average of 38 years. A total of 5586 deaths and 1.08 mill. person-years were accumulated during follow-up. When considered for the full study period, we observed significant mortality reductions for all causes combined, external causes, and non-neoplastic diseases, while the mortality reduction for neoplasms was only bordering on statistical significance. While all-cause mortality deficit fell with time since study entry, a statistically significant deficit was observed for all successive intervals of follow-up time. SMR rose from 0.52 during the first 10 years of follow-up to 0.93 for the period after 50 years since study entry. Low mortality from non-neoplastic diseases gave the strongest contribution to the overall HSE, as the SMRs for this category gradually increased from one-third to four-fifths of the national rates from the first to the last follow-up interval. For neoplastic diseases, the change over time in relative mortality was less linear. For these diseases, there was a statistically significant mortality deficit only for the first and third follow-up intervals. In subsequent intervals, neoplastic mortality rates were similar to reference rates. External cause mortality rose to reference rates after 50 years. Conclusion The healthy soldier effect eroded gradually with increased follow-up, but was still present throughout the (up to) 65-year long follow-up. The effect was strongest for non-neoplastic diseases, lasted up to 50 years for external causes and was relatively short for cancers.

Noise and sleep on board vessels in the Royal Norwegian Navy.

Previous research indicates that exposure to noise during sleep can cause sleep disturbance. Seamen on board vessels are frequently exposed to noise also during sleep periods, and studies have reported sleep disturbance in this occupational group. However, studies of noise and sleep in maritime settings are few. This study's aim was to examine the associations between noise exposure during sleep, and sleep variables derived from actigraphy among seamen on board vessels in the Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN). Data were collected on board 21 RNoN vessels, where navy seamen participated by wearing an actiwatch (actigraph), and by completing a questionnaire comprising information on gender, age, coffee drinking, nicotine use, use of medication, and workload. Noise dose meters were used to assess noise exposure inside the seamen's cabin during sleep. Eighty-three sleep periods from 68 seamen were included in the statistical analysis. Linear mixed-effects models were used to examine the association between noise exposure and the sleep variables percentage mobility during sleep and sleep efficiency, respectively. Noise exposure variables, coffee drinking status, nicotine use status, and sleeping hours explained 24.9% of the total variance in percentage mobility during sleep, and noise exposure variables explained 12.0% of the total variance in sleep efficiency. Equivalent noise level and number of noise events per hour were both associated with increased percentage mobility during sleep, and the number of noise events was associated with decreased sleep efficiency.

Hearing loss in the Royal Norwegian Navy: A longitudinal study.

The aims of this longitudinal study were to investigate a significant threshold shift (STS) among personnel working on board the Royal Norwegian Navy's (RNoN) vessels between 2012 and 2014 and to identify possible determinants of STS. Hearing thresholds were measured by pure tone audiometry in two consecutive examinations (n = 226). STS was defined as an average change in hearing thresholds ≥ + 10 dB at 2,000 Hz, 3,000 Hz, and 4,000 Hz in either ear. Determinants of STS were assessed through a questionnaire. The incidence of STS was 23.0%. Significant determinants of STS were the number of episodes of temporary threshold shifts (TTS) in the Navy, exposure to continuous loud noise during work on board, and the number of gun shots (in the Navy, hunting, and sports). This study indicated a significant association between noise exposure on board Navy vessels and development of STS.

Coagulation function of stored whole blood is preserved for 14 days in austere conditions: A ROTEM feasibility study during a Norwegian antipiracy mission and comparison to equal ratio reconstituted blood.

Formulation of a medical preparedness plan for treating severely bleeding casualties during naval deployment is a significant challenge because of territory covered during most missions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the concept of "walking blood bank" as a supportable plan for supplying safe blood and blood products. In 2013, the Royal Norwegian Navy conducted antipiracy operations from a frigate, beginning in the Gulf of Aden and ending in the Indian Ocean. Crews were on 24-hour emergency alert in preparation for an enemy assault on the frigate. Under an approved command protocol, a "walking blood bank," using crew blood donations, was established for use on board and on missions conducted in rigid-hulled inflatable boats, during which freeze-dried plasma and leukoreduced, group O low anti-A/anti-B titer, cold-stored whole blood were stored in Golden Hour Boxes. Data demonstrating the ability to collect, store, and provide whole blood were collected to establish feasibility of implementing a whole blood-focused remote damage-control resuscitation program aboard a naval vessel. In addition, ROTEM data were collected to demonstrate feasibility of performing this analysis on a large naval vessel and to also measure hemostatic efficacy of cold-stored leukoreduced whole blood (CWB) stored during a period of 14 days. ROTEM data on CWB was compared with reconstituted whole blood. Drills simulating massive transfusion activation were conducted, in which 2 U of warm fresh whole blood with platelet sparing leukoreduction were produced in 40 minutes, followed by collection of two additional units at 15-minute increments. The ROTEM machine performed well during ship-rolling, as shown by the overlapping calculated and measured mechanical piston movements measured by the ROTEM device. Error messages were recorded in 4 (1.5%) of 267 tests. CWB yielded reproducible ROTEM results demonstrating preserved fibrinogen function and platelet function for at least 3.5 weeks and 2 weeks, respectively. The frequency of ROTEM tests were as follows: EXTEM (n = 88), INTEM (n = 85), FIBTEM (n = 82), and APTEM (n = 12). CWB results were grouped. Compared with Days 0 to 2, EXTEM maximum clot firmness was significantly reduced, beginning on Days 10 to 14; however, results through that date remained within reference ranges and were comparable with the EXTEM maximum clot firmness for the reconstituted whole blood samples containing Day 5 room temperature-stored platelets. A "walking blood bank" can provide a balanced transfusion product to support damage-control resuscitation/remote damage-control resuscitation aboard a frigate in the absence of conventional blood bank products. ROTEM analysis is feasible to monitor damage-control resuscitation and blood product quality. ROTEM analysis was possible in challenging operational conditions. Therapeutic study, level V.

Noise exposure and cognitive performance: A study on personnel on board Royal Norwegian Navy vessels.

Prior research shows that work on board vessels of the Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN) is associated with noise exposure levels above recommended standards. Further, noise exposure has been found to impair cognitive performance in environmental, occupational, and experimental settings, although prior research in naval and maritime settings is sparse. The aim of this study was to evaluate cognitive performance after exposure to noise among personnel working on board vessels in the RNoN. Altogether 87 Navy personnel (80 men, 7 women; 31 ± 9 years) from 24 RNoN vessels were included. Noise exposure was recorded by personal noise dosimeters at a minimum of 4 h prior to testing, and categorized into 4 groups for the analysis: <72.6 dB(A), 72.6-77.0 dB(A), 77.1-85.2 dB(A), and >85.2 dB(A). The participants performed a visual attention test based on the Posner cue-target paradigm. Multivariable general linear model (GLM) analyses were performed to analyze whether noise exposure was associated with response time (RT) when adjusting for the covariates age, alertness, workload, noise exposure in test location, sleep the night before testing, use of hearing protection device (HPD), and percentage of errors. When adjusting for covariates, RT was significantly increased among personnel exposed to >85.2 dB(A) and 77.1-85.2 dB(A) compared to personnel exposed to <72.6 dB(A).

Noise and exposure of personnel aboard vessels in the Royal Norwegian Navy.

Despite awareness of noise aboard vessels at sea, few studies have reported measured noise levels aboard ships. This study aimed to describe the noise levels aboard vessels in the Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN), and to assess the noise exposure of personnel aboard RNoN vessels. In 2012/2013 noise measurements were conducted aboard 14 RNoN vessels from four different vessel classes (frigates, coastal corvettes, mine vessels, and coast guard vessels) which were included in this study. Mean and median A-weighted noise levels (L p,A) in decibel (dB(A)) were calculated for different locations in each vessel class. The noise exposure of RNoN personnel was assessed by dosimeter measurements, and with a task-based (TB) strategy. The TB strategy used means of area measured noise levels in locations and the personnel's mean reported time spent in the respective locations to estimate the exposure. Area measurements of noise during sailing with typical operating modes, showed that for all vessel classes the noise levels were high in engine rooms with median L p,A ranging from 86.4 to 105.3 dB(A). In all the other locations the vessel class with the highest noise levels (coastal corvettes) had a median L p,A ranging from 71.7 to 95.0 dB(A), while the vessel class with the lowest noise levels (coast guard vessels) had a median L p,A ranging from 41.5 to 57.8 dB(A). For all vessel classes the engineers and electricians had amongst the highest 24-hour noise exposure (L p,A,24h), both before and after adjusting for estimated use of hearing protective devices (L p,A,24h > 67.3 dB(A)). The vessel class with the highest personnel exposure levels (coastal corvettes) had L p,A,24h ranging from 76.6 to 79.3 dB(A). The vessel class with the lowest personnel exposure levels (coast guard vessels) had an L p,A,24h ranging from 47.4 to 67.3 dB(A). In general, the dosimeter measurements gave higher exposure levels than those estimated with the TB strategy. All vessel classes, except the coast guard vessels, had noise levels exceeding the RNoN standard's recommended maximum noise levels. The area measured noise levels and the personnel's exposure estimates indicate that navy personnel aboard RNoN vessels are at risk of acquiring adverse health effects from exposure to noise, and that a program to reduce the noise levels should be implemented.

Hearing loss in the royal Norwegian Navy: a cross-sectional study.

ObjectivesPrior studies have indicated a high prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among Navy personnel; however, it is not clear whether this is caused by work on board. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of hearing loss among Navy personnel in the Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN), and to investigate whether there is an association between work on board RNoN vessels and occurrence of hearing loss.MethodsNavy personnel currently working on board RNoN vessels were recruited to complete a questionnaire on noise exposure and health followed by pure tone audiometry. Hearing loss was defined as hearing threshold levels ≥25 dB in either ear at the frequencies 3,000, 4,000 or 6,000 Hz. Hearing thresholds were adjusted for age and gender using ISO 7029.ResultsThe prevalence of hearing loss among Navy personnel was 31.4 %. The work exposure variables: years of work in the Navy, years on vessel(s) in the Navy and years of sailing in the Navy were associated with reduced hearing after adjusting for age, gender and otitis as an adult. Among the work exposure variables, years of sailing in the Navy was the strongest predictor of reduced hearing, and significantly reduced hearing was found at the frequencies 1,000, 3,000 and 4,000 Hz.ConclusionsOur results indicate that time spent on board vessels in the RNoN is a predictor of reduced hearing.

Improved Active Sonar Tactical Support by Through-the-Sensor Estimation of Acoustic Seabed Properties

Accurate environmental information is required for obtaining confident sonar performance predictions. This environmental information is, however, often unreliable or unavailable. To support antisubmarine warfare (ASW) operations, a through-the-sensor approach has been developed in which relevant acoustic seabed properties are derived from reverberation data, and a demonstrator system has been installed on a Royal Norwegian Navy frigate. It determines relevant acoustic seabed parameters from the reverberation data near real time. This demonstrator system has been validated in several sea trials conducted off the coast of Bergen, Norway. The acoustic seabed parameters derived in these trials have a good correspondence with the available prior information. Furthermore, the results show that acoustic seabed parameters derived from reverberation data in previous trials can be used to improve reverberation prediction for subsequent trials, even when environmental conditions, i.e., sound-speed profiles, are different. Because the demonstrator makes information on acoustic seabed properties directly available for in situ sonar performance prediction, it can be used as a tactical decision aid.

9.3.2 The Use of Models across the Contractual Boundary: Past, Present and Future

AbstractModel‐Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) practices have been gathering momentum for over 20 years and are seen as the future of systems engineering. MBSE formalises the practice of systems engineering through the use of models and its aim is to overcome the limitations inherent in describing complex systems and their development and sustainment using documents. However, certain project practices, in particular the tendering and contracting processes, are still strongly tied to the use of documents. This paper identifies the challenges that need to be addressed to use MBSE across the contractual interface in a competitive tendering environment. The focus is on the transition of models created by the customer (acquirer) during the capability definition phase to the supplier both during the tendering process and through the systems architectural design and development phases. The paper unfolds with a literature survey and then progresses to surface key insights and challenges for the adoption of model‐centric acquisition, looking into the past, present and future from the Australian and Norwegian defence perspectives. This is supplemented through case studies involving the utilisation of RDD‐100 for model‐centric acquisition of Frigates by the Royal Norwegian Navy and through ongoing research by the Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation, and the Defence and Systems Innovation Centre. The paper concludes with a summary of the achievements to date and the challenges to be addressed in order to enable and foster the widespread adoption of model‐centric tendering and equipment acquisition.

Mental readiness for maritime international operation: procedures developed by Norwegian navy.

Seafarer's mental health is vital for a well-functioning organisation. Neglecting mental health status on board could be extremely costly for both the crew affected as well as the company. The present article outlines an extensive programme implemented in the Royal Norwegian Navy for personnel deployed in international operations. The challenges involved in international operations bare similarities to onboard personnel in civilian maritime operations. The program utilised by the Royal Norwegian Navy is extensive and not immediately applicable to civilian maritime companies. However, elements of this program could be used with limited resources. Questionnaire based screening, before, during and at the end of a contract period could result in early detections of mental health problems and increased retaining of personnel. This should be done by health professionals. Early targeting of at risk personnel could prevent serious costs for the individual as well as the company.

Introduction to the Special Issue

This article summarizes the contributions given in the five papers of the Small Group Research (SGR) special issue, Leadership and the Group. The five papers were first presented at the 8th Nordic Conference on Group and Social Psychology (GRASP, 2012) held at the Royal Norwegian Navy Academy in Bergen, Norway. Aside for summarizing each contribution, this introduction describes the contributions of each article in a broader context, and points to some implications for further research.

107 Noise exposure and hearing loss among naval personnel

ObjectivesIn a questionnaire conducted by The Royal Norwegian Navy in 2002/2003, 38% of the personnel reported to be much/very much exposed to noise and 24% reported reduced hearing. Based on...

AB1452-HPR Epidemiology and risk factors for musculoskeletal injuries and medial tibial stress syndrome in brazilian military school students

BackgroundThe personnel engaged in physical fitness programmes can suffer from many injuries due to sustained training. 1,2 Musculoskeletal injuries related to exercise are the main cause of premature discharge from...

Announcement of SPE Board Nominees: 2015 SPE President and Slate of Directors

SPE Board Nominations Helge Haldorsen is the nominee for 2015 Society of Petroleum Engineers president. He and seven others make up the slate of Board nominees recommended for SPE Board positions by the society’s Nominating Committee and Board of Directors. These recommendations are based on nominations submitted via SPE’s online nominating process (see sidebar). 2015 SPE President Helge Haldorsen is vice president–strategy and portfolio for Statoil Development and Production North America, based in Houston, Texas. He worked for Norsk Hydro in various roles, including chief reservoir engineer, vice president–technology and competence, vice president–exploration and research, senior vice president–international exploration and production, and president–Hydro Gulf of Mexico. Haldorsen has also held various engineering positions at British Petroleum, Standard Oil of Ohio (Sohio), and ExxonMobil (Esso). He was a second lieutenant in the Royal Norwegian Navy and professor of industrial mathematics at the University of Oslo. Haldorsen earned an MS in petroleum engineering from the Norwegian Institute of Technology and a PhD in reservoir engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. He currently serves on the Offshore Technology Conference board of directors and the external advisory board for the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. Technical Director, Drilling and Completions David Curry is a Baker Hughes technology fellow, based in London, UK. Prior positions with Baker Hughes include director of drill bit research and technical manager of drilling optimization. He has more than 25 years’ experience in drilling research and technology development, primarily related to drill bits and bit/rock interactions, and to drilling performance improvement. Before joining the oil industry he worked on nuclear power plant integrity. Curry was named an SPE Distinguished Member in 2010. He is chair of SPE’s Research and Development (R&amp;D) Advisory Committee, past chair of SPE’s R&amp;D Technical Section, and has served on SPE’s Drilling and Completions Advisory Committee, Drilling and Completions Award Committee, and Books Development Committee. He was executive editor of SPE Drilling and Completion, and in 2007 was named A Peer Apart for peer reviewing more than 100 SPE papers. Curry has published more than 40 papers, been awarded eight patents, and coauthored one book. He earned an MA in natural sciences and a PhD in fracture mechanics, both at the University of Cambridge, and is a chartered engineer in the UK.