TY  - GEN
AB  - Future warships will almost certainly be designed around a requirement set that necessitate fast paced, evolving and multi-role capability deployment to maximise utility and cost effectiveness for the end user. This will require a flexible and potentially simpler platform that relies upon modularity – being capable of being re-rolled to a variety of mission types and fit to receive technology or capability insertions throughout their service lives.
The UK MOD, through the Type 26 and Type 31 programmes has committed to this concept through the adoption of mission bays. These mission bays can be configured around a variety of: boats, unmanned systems, or equipment and systems integrated into standard ISO shipping containers or other military modular systems.
These containerised systems are termed as mission modules. Types 31 and 26 respectively, alongside numerous platforms in service with NATO partners, feature provision for these mission modules.
Alongside this, the Royal Navy has recently procured experimental vessels of a commercial design to conduct a variety of technology demonstration roles. This could eventually lead to the deployment of military capability on more ‘commercial’ type vessels. Vessels such as the XV Patrick Beckett feature large payload decks to deploy mission modules. In the future, vessels such as this could be used in predominately low-medium threat environments to satisfy such tasks as Mine-Counter Measures (MCM), Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) or constabulary missions.
Vessels such as Type 31, or future low cost, low complexity platforms feature mechanical power & propulsion systems. Previous iterations of Engine As A Weapon have focussed on sophisticated, all-electric propulsion topologies and cite these as the enabler to future weapons and sensors. With the UK MOD concurrently committing to Laser Directed-Energy-Weapons (LDEW) through the DragonFire programme it is apparent that future vessels will need to be capable of fielding this, or similar systems despite the previously cited constraints of mechanically based power & propulsion architecture. The possibility also exists that such LDEW systems could replace current Close-In-Weapon-Systems such as Phalanx on current, or near future vessels.
This paper will consider the above by exploring the opportunities and constraints of utilising the volume offered within the vessel’s mission bay, or flat deck of a Platform Support Vessel looking platform, into systems that enable LDEW deployment.
The mission bay or payload decks on these vessels can be configured around large, containerised batteries which, when configured with adequate cooling and combat system integration could enable the retrofit of DEW systems. This paper will also develop the concept that these modular battery solutions can be craned on and off the vessels to facilitate opportunities such as optimised maintenance or improve system availability.
AD  - Babcock
AU  - Edge, W
DA  - 2023-11-29
DO  - 10.24868/11084
DO  - doi
ID  - 11084
JF  - Conference Proceedings of EAAW
L1  - https://library.imarest.org/record/11084/files/EAAW_2023_paper_15.pdf
L2  - https://library.imarest.org/record/11084/files/EAAW_2023_paper_15.pdf
L4  - https://library.imarest.org/record/11084/files/EAAW_2023_paper_15.pdf
LK  - https://library.imarest.org/record/11084/files/EAAW_2023_paper_15.pdf
N2  - Future warships will almost certainly be designed around a requirement set that necessitate fast paced, evolving and multi-role capability deployment to maximise utility and cost effectiveness for the end user. This will require a flexible and potentially simpler platform that relies upon modularity – being capable of being re-rolled to a variety of mission types and fit to receive technology or capability insertions throughout their service lives.
The UK MOD, through the Type 26 and Type 31 programmes has committed to this concept through the adoption of mission bays. These mission bays can be configured around a variety of: boats, unmanned systems, or equipment and systems integrated into standard ISO shipping containers or other military modular systems.
These containerised systems are termed as mission modules. Types 31 and 26 respectively, alongside numerous platforms in service with NATO partners, feature provision for these mission modules.
Alongside this, the Royal Navy has recently procured experimental vessels of a commercial design to conduct a variety of technology demonstration roles. This could eventually lead to the deployment of military capability on more ‘commercial’ type vessels. Vessels such as the XV Patrick Beckett feature large payload decks to deploy mission modules. In the future, vessels such as this could be used in predominately low-medium threat environments to satisfy such tasks as Mine-Counter Measures (MCM), Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) or constabulary missions.
Vessels such as Type 31, or future low cost, low complexity platforms feature mechanical power & propulsion systems. Previous iterations of Engine As A Weapon have focussed on sophisticated, all-electric propulsion topologies and cite these as the enabler to future weapons and sensors. With the UK MOD concurrently committing to Laser Directed-Energy-Weapons (LDEW) through the DragonFire programme it is apparent that future vessels will need to be capable of fielding this, or similar systems despite the previously cited constraints of mechanically based power & propulsion architecture. The possibility also exists that such LDEW systems could replace current Close-In-Weapon-Systems such as Phalanx on current, or near future vessels.
This paper will consider the above by exploring the opportunities and constraints of utilising the volume offered within the vessel’s mission bay, or flat deck of a Platform Support Vessel looking platform, into systems that enable LDEW deployment.
The mission bay or payload decks on these vessels can be configured around large, containerised batteries which, when configured with adequate cooling and combat system integration could enable the retrofit of DEW systems. This paper will also develop the concept that these modular battery solutions can be craned on and off the vessels to facilitate opportunities such as optimised maintenance or improve system availability.
PY  - 2023-11-29
T1  - Containers as a Weapon I
TI  - Containers as a Weapon I
UR  - https://library.imarest.org/record/11084/files/EAAW_2023_paper_15.pdf
VL  - EAAW X
Y1  - 2023-11-29
ER  -