Enabling Lean Manning through Automation

Reduced manning has long been an aspiration for navies, due to manpower shortages and a desire to reduce through life costs, whilst the requirements for mission capable, effective and flexible vessels have continued to grow with the evolution of military operations.  The challenge for industry is to provide a naval platform with increased capability and agility, whilst embracing sufficient automation to support a reduced complement.   An Integrated Platform Management System can provide the answer to many of the challenges posed by a lean manned platform.  However, to fully exploit the benefits of such a system, the operator characteristics and supporting technology must be fully considered.  In terms of Integrated Platform Management System design, a truly distributed architecture, extensive system integration, intuitive alarms and warning policies, and the inclusion of remote alarm panels with paging systems, can all help to tackle the reduced manning challenge.  As technology evolves so will the ability to optimize ships’ operations and develop new ways of achieving mission objectives whilst addressing the reduced manning challenge.  There are a number of themes currently driving innovation in the maritime market, such as remote support initiatives, most prevalent in the commercial maritime sector.  Furthermore, the adoption of intelligent systems, such as smart valves, can offer significant benefits against the background of ever reducing manning levels.