What is “Flexibility”?
The ability of a platform (i.e. ships, ground vehicles, aircrafts, etc.) to adapt and evolve with increased capabilities, reduced costs, or both is defined as “flexibility”. Flexible designs are often described as “plug-and-play”.
Consider the familiar “plug and play” features of a desktop computer. Standard parts and connections, or “interfaces”, allow different types of functions to be added and removed with minimal effort. The range of applications depends on the types of connections, number of ports, slots, and so forth.
Adaptable computer systems reduce costs and increase competition. Flexibility encourages innovation, as standardization allows more companies to focus their efforts on providing new capabilities instead of allocating resources to product integration.
Ship Modularity
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Hangar/Flight Deck
Weapons Station
Weapons Station
Weapons Station
Electromagnetic Rail Gun
https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/02/meet-the-railgun-the-mythical-weapon-that-never-gets-built/
Weapons Station
Missiles
Why Flexibility Matters
Flexibility is essential for modern-day defense needs and budgets.
Allows simultaneous platform and system construction
Offers rapid equipment upgrades
Provides a path to multi-purpose missions on one platform
Does all this while achieving cost efficiency over the entire platform’s lifecycle
In the current era of rapidly changing technologies, asymmetric threats, and reduced budgets, this is an attractive set of capabilities. Learn more about Modular Systems.
How We Achieve Flexibility
The challenge of a flexible design is taking the concept of a desktop computer and making it work for a real-world system as complex as a naval warship, a system that is required to operate in mission critical and hostile environments. Abbott on Call personnel are fluent in the tools and processes necessary to comprehensively facilitate the large amount of information involved in creating a flexible platform.
This includes the knowledge, the development, and the management of requirements from the operation level down to the engineering and production levels. This focus has allowed us to keep our projects within the requirement bounds, preventing cost escalation.
How Ships Meet Systems – Where Your Concept Comes to Life
Naval Architecture refers to the ship’s hull, the hull’s form, resistance, the exterior rudder, outward appearance, and the overall general arrangement. Marine Engineering refers the ship systems, machinery, electrical generation, equipment modules, and auxiliary equipment on a ship, submarine, or platform.
A couple of decades ago these two engineering disciplines performed their tasks in sequence; the marine engineer limited by the architectural design of the ship. However, in our modern design age, these two aspects and their integration can be conducted in parallel using the same design software by the same design engineer. This enables ship design to accommodate flexible systems and equipment.
Our team includes experienced Naval Architects and Marine Engineers specialized in Flexible Ship and marine vehicle design. We can support all phases your platform needs. From platform and systems acquisition to concept research and development to operations and maintenance we will partner with you to ensure your design is flexible and able to incorporate emerging technologies in an ever-changing threat environment.
Our Design Support Capabilities
Implementing Flexible Ship Design Features and Technologies on:
- Warships (both large and small)
- Submarines
- Commercial Vessels
- Renewable Energy Vessels
- Superyachts
Flexible Ship Interface Control Document (ICD) Requirements on:
- Hull, Mechanical & Electrical (HM&E), Distributive Systems, and Combat Systems
- Manned and Unmanned Airborne/Amphibious/Surface/Underwater Systems
- Weapons, C5I Interfaces, Vehicle Launch & Recovery, and Automation
- Platform and Weight Specifications and Standards
- Concept and Prototype Development
- Engineering Documentation Support
- CAD/CFD/Structural Modeling and Analysis
- New Technology Availabilities both Foreign and Domestic
- Modularity Cost Savings Estimating