Shipbuilding Integration
Abstract
The build cycle of a first-in-class combat ship takes about 6 years. During that time frame, systems are being designed, installed, and tested, but until the ship is in the water and tested at sea trials it is not known if the ship is fully integrated and will actually perform as it should. As time progresses integration problems become harder and more expensive to solve. Every time a new system is added or upgraded there may be interference from another system that was not anticipated. It is important to test and verify each system, but there is limited time and resources to do so. By successfully planning and performing systems integration at the correct time of the acquisition cycle it is possible to reduce the chance of system failure. The objective of this thesis is to explain and establish the process of building a fully integrated combat ship. To understand how to perform integration, first one must define what it means to the customer, the Navy, and to the shipbuilder. This is accomplished in the first chapter. The second chapter concentrates on why contractors need to perform systems integration by explaining the history of the U.S. Navy's shipbuilding program and presenting case studies of successful and less successful integrated systems. The last chapter contains a list of concepts and ideas to implement into a combat ship design and build program to simplify shipbuilding integration.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA443074
Entities
People
- Joanna M. Carter
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School