Roadmap to an Electric Naval Force

Abstract

NRAC was tasked to assess the increasing electrification of the traditionally mechanical US Navy. Specifically, the Panel was asked to study recent trends and developments; recommend a power system architecture; and, recommend a science and technology roadmap for development of an integrated electric naval force. The Panel reviewed commercial electrical marine applications worldwide and the various naval electric propulsion, auxiliary, sensor, and weapons programs in the US and UK from both a historical and current prospective. They found that there is an evolving industrial base for electric ships and that the DD(X), LHD8, CVNX and the VIRGINIA SSN provide a naval electric ship baseline. To realize the full potential of electrification, the Panel determined the Navy needed to develop an Electric Warship with a common electric power system that would allow all the power in a ship to be available for propulsion, sensors or weapons as needed. The development of the Electric Warship will then allow evolution to the Electric Naval Force where power is available to off-board units. In order to achieve the warfighting superiority of the Electric Naval Force, the DoN should establish central responsibility to develop and manage balanced (weapons, sensors, and propulsion) technology investment strategy.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 2002
Accession Number
ADA452519

Entities

People

  • C. Allen
  • C. M. Brown
  • J. Gully
  • L. Felton
  • M. Adamiak
  • P. Gale
  • R. Adair
  • R. Ashton
  • R. Rischl
  • W. Weldon

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Boats
  • Control Systems
  • Directed Energy Weapons
  • Electric Power
  • Electromagnetic Guns
  • Energy Storage
  • Engineers
  • Hybrid Power
  • Naval Architecture
  • Naval Operations
  • Navy
  • Organizational Structure
  • Propulsion Systems
  • Resource Management
  • Theater Ballistic Missiles
  • Weapons Effects

Readers

  • Defense Technology Research and Development.
  • Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics