Capable, Adaptable, Flexible: The Design of a Cost-Effective Naval Platform with Focus on the Increasing Use of Off-Board Assets

In many areas in the innovation of remote and autonomous systems, miniaturisation is leading to a huge increase in the available range of devices and their prevalence in everyday life. In Defence and particularly the naval domain however, the key area of progression is in the opposing direction. Rather than miniaturising, the remote and autonomous systems used in Defence are getting progressively larger in order to provide for increased payload, range and endurance.  

Navies may often find that they require their platforms to have the ability to cater for both large and small remote and autonomous systems, while also catering for the traditional operations of the navy with use of organic boats and helicopters. Such platforms, with the ability to support an increasingly wide variety of these off-board assets, will be significant for navies in increasing their capability and diversifying into different roles.  

With provision of sufficient allowances in the design, an adaptable design has the ability to be customised in its configuration. A flexible design has the ability to be reconfigured to fulfil a variety of roles, including those that utilise off-board assets. Allowances are also desirable to enable accommodation of future capability of unknown future high-tech systems so that the navies are able to maintain and increase a strategic technological advantage.

This paper examines some of the aspects relevant to operating off-board assets in the design of a cost-effective naval platform that is capable, adaptable and flexible. Particular focus is given to the development of a hullform, seakeeping, general arrangement issues, upper deck arrangements, mission spaces, payload areas, the launch/recovery systems and interfaces.