Feature 5 | Survivability
SURVIVE: warship survivability assessment
from concept to service*
The survivability of Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) surface
ships is currently undergoing something of a renaissance. Lessons learnt
have culminated in the effective above and underwater survivability design
considerations onboard the Type 45 destroyer.
R
oyal Navy vessels have for many
SurvivE has been
years enjoyed highly effective
widely used to
shock protection, and signature
enhance the
control has, to some extent, also been
survivability of the
a feature of past designs. The Falklands
royal Navy’s type
Conflict exposed a number of significant
45 destroyer.
shortcomings, many in the area of surface
ship vulnerability. The Type 23 frigate
embodied a number of lessons learnt,
but it was not until the design of the Type
45 destroyer that effective above and
underwater vulnerability requirements
were introduced.
As David Manley RCNC, Head of
Vulnerability Reduction and Shock
Engineering, Directorate of Sea Systems, (the chance of being hit); vulnerability concepts can be assessed for survivability.
UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) explains, (the chance of loss of mission capability Through an iterative process the effect of
over the last few years the MoD has been given a hit); and recoverability (the chance design options can be established and the
developing the ‘Survivability Strategy’. This of restoring mission capability through best features identified and incorporated,
strategy introduces baseline requirements reconfiguration or repair). It is possible often at little or even zero cost. The most
and mandated design features to improve for a warship to be designed to withstand effective modifications are often as simple
ship survivability. repeated attacks through a combination as the re-routing of a cable or pipe, the
To a great extent the ability to specify of avoiding hits, avoiding damage and the separation of redundant items or the
effective requirements for vulnerability ability to recover capability. concentration of critical items.
has stemmed from the development of the The approach to survivability Survivability targets written early on
SURVIVE vulnerability assessment code management of modern warship form a platform on which to base the
and its concept level sibling, SURVIVE Lite procurement is complex, but good levels management process, and can be readily
(both of which are now being exported to of survivability can be achieved without defined to give a transparent requirement
a selection of NATO and allied nations). excessive cost implications, provided along with logical and achievable goals to
The Maritime Strategic Capabilities survivability is considered from the very follow to ensure good performance. In this
Agreement now mandates the use of early stages of the design. way survivability management becomes
SURVIVE for surface ship vulnerability The initial layout of primary spaces an integral feature of the design, meaning
and lethality assessment, and this on board can have a big knock-on effect that it is not seen as an afterthought adding
article aims to describe the code and on final capability. Separated machinery cost and complexity.
its applicability to surface ships and spaces, topside layout that allows SURVIVE has been under development
submarines, an applicability that now separation of sensor and communications for more than a decade. Primary and
extends beyond pure vulnerability assets, protection of critical spaces secondary damage to a ship or submarine
assessment to cover structural strength, through location at the least susceptible target are predicted in a given scenario.
stability, explosive safety, recoverability and least vulnerable points, provision SURVIVE works in enough detail to
and escape and evacuation. of reversionary options for critical adequately predict the interaction whilst
Survivability is defined as the ability of spaces and magazines surrounded by still being fast running. The reaction of
a vessel to complete a mission successfully non-critical compartments all constitute the ship’s systems and crew are progressed
in a hostile environment. It can be broken good survivability features. through time, with further incoming
down into three main areas: susceptibility This means that even the very earliest threats possible depending on the scenario.
30 Warship Technology March 2010
WT_Mar-2010_p30-31-32.indd 30 23/02/2010 16:01:12
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