The impacts of operational environments on blast survivability and operability performance

Modern naval surface combatants are now designed to operate for 30 years at higher utilisation rates driven by growing operational requirements. The prolonged operational lifespan and requirements expose the vessel to various oceanographic zones and demanding missions, elevating the risk of material fatigue and operability performance. Although material fatigue is unlikely to cause catastrophic structural failure when proper maintenance is employed, it may reduce blast survivability. The study focuses on the exemplary vessel DTMB-5415 to investigate the interplay between operational environment on material fatigue, blast survivability and operability. The vessel operated in three distinct oceanographic areas representing different sea-state levels, encompassing Northern Australia, the Southern Oceans, and Ocean Areas around Australia.

The study utilises the rapid life of type and blast loading models developed by the Australian Maritime College and Defence Materials Technology Centre Limited. These models are integrated with Defence Science and Technology Group’s platform performance modelling and analysis tool, InteShip. InteShip facilitates comprehensive performance assessments, trade-offs in platform designs, and insights into the intricate interactions between sub-systems and performance requirements against objective performance measures. InteShips’ holistic perspective sheds light on the implications of operational environments impacting blast survivability and operability performance. By considering these impacts within the ship’s operational environment, naval architects can ensure sustained mission capability, bolster operational readiness, and effectively meet the evolving demands of modern naval operations.