SEAKEEPING AND COMBAT SYSTEM PERFORMANCE – THE OPERATORS‘ ASSESSMENT

ABSTRACT In a recent effort to improve our assessment of the Comparative seakeeping performance of existing U.S. Navy ships, a seakeeping questionnaire was distributed to the Commanding Officers of U.S. Navy frigates, destroyers, and cruisers. The objectives were to determine, (1) the operational availability of existing weapons and sensors in relation to a ship's seakeeping performance, (2) the availability of ships to make full speed and to conduct sonar, helicopter, and replenishment‐at‐sea operations, (3) effects of a ship's seakeeping limitations on task force and convoy operation, and (4) realistic seakeeping design crteria for use in the design of new ships. The responses to the questionnaire indicated that frigates are severely limited in their availability to conduct ASW task force and convoy operations in the North Atlantic during the winter season because of seakeeping limitations on speed, hull sonar performance, and helicopter operations. The findings suggest that in the design of future ships we need to place emphasis on improving the seakeeping performance of ships in rough water, instead of just their speed and range in calm water. They indicate that the ASW capability of U.S. ships in high sea states would be enhanced by a towed acoustic sensor; an extended range ASW missile; active fin roll stabilizers; and a helicopter recovery assistance, securing and traverse (RAST) system. They also suggest that the question of the interaction of a ship's size and seakeeping characteristics with the choice of weapons and sensors requires careful attention in the design of future U.S. Navy ships.