Fact Sheet: Littoral Mission Vessel Integrated Project Management Team (DSTA)

Defence Technology Prize 2016 Team (Engineering) Award Winner

Littoral Mission Vessel Integrated Project Management Team

Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN)

Citation

The Littoral Mission Vessel (LMV) Integrated Project Management Team, comprising members from DSTA and the RSN, designed a more capable, faster and mission-flexible ship with better seakeeping and endurance that can be manned with a leaner crew to replace the Fearless-class Patrol Vessels. The LMV programme marked many innovative "firsts", including the pioneering use of Cognitive Task Analysis, and modelling and simulation at DSTA's Analytical Laboratory where the new Integrated Command Centre (ICC) concept and workflows were validated. In recognition of the team's significant achievements, the LMV team is awarded the DTP 2016 Team (Engineering) Award.

Background

The team comprises members from various programme centres in DSTA and the RSN. Instead of the traditional technology-centric approach, the team applied a user-centric approach to gain a deeper understanding of the LMV's operational workflow and identify operator needs. Systems on board the LMV were tailored to suit the operators to reduce workload, instead of the operators undergoing training to familiarise with the new technology. The team's expertise include human-computer interaction, software development, naval architecting, as well as cognitive systems, mechanical, radar, guided weapons and combat systems integration engineering.

Technical Innovation and Operational Impact

In adopting novel engineering approaches and pushing new design features, the team's innovations include:

a.         Harnessing integration and automation for optimal manning

To achieve optimal manning, the team validated the concept of the ICC comprising the Bridge, the Combat Information Centre and the Machinery Control Room, which are traditionally housed separately. This concept synergises operations and streamlines workflow process to enhance operational effectiveness and efficiency. DSTA's Analytical Laboratory was set up to support the study of the new operating concepts and workflows. In developing the laboratory, DSTA harnessed modelling and simulation technologies to deliver 360-degree out-of-window views for the ICC, providing RSN operators a realistic and immersive experience in trying a new way of operating the ship.

Harnessing automation to reduce workload for the crew, a 360-degree electro-optical surveillance system, with an all-round suite of day and infra-red cameras, was integrated within the ICC to enable sailors to monitor the seas all around them on screen.

To further reduce the crew workload, a first-of-its-kind twin-stern ramp was designed to launch and recover different boats up to 11 metres in length. The design requires only half the crew strength and time as compared to conventional boat davits and cranes used to lower and recover boats. This system also enabled launch and recovery operations to be conducted at higher sea-states for a ship of comparable size.

The team's efforts helped to reduce the crew size of the LMV to 23 men, compared to around 30 for the previous generation patrol vessels.

b.         Mission-flexible ship        

From the onset, the team designed the LMVs with mission flexibility in mind. The team implemented a modular mission concept, where different mission modules could be quickly embarked on the LMV to allow it to take on different operations. For example, the LMV can be configured to embark rigid-hulled inflatable boats, boarding teams and a helicopter for maritime security operations, or to deploy unmanned systems for surveillance and force protection operations.

To allow the LMVs flexibility to respond across a wide spectrum of operations, a Less Lethal Weapon Suite was integrated to the ship's combat suite to enable seamless transition across the widest range of responses available on an RSN ship.

c.         Design for Support

In designing the LMVs, the team considered "Design for Support" principles upfront to achieve a design that is easy to operate, maintain and train.

For instance, DSTA implemented a stacked-mast design to maximise sensor coverage while providing an enclosed environment for the sensors and equipment. This ease of access to the equipment allows maintenance to be carried out more efficiently compared to open mast designs where systems are situated at relatively inaccessible locations outside the mast. The design increases the operational readiness of the LMV.

Efforts were also made by the team to streamline and automate the LMV's logistics support. The 80m-long ship's vital signs are monitored remotely by crew through onboard cameras and sensors. The status of its systems can be transmitted wirelessly to shore to facilitate maintenance planning.

d.         Leveraging technology to enhance mission and training experience

The team designed the LMV's combat consoles with multi-touch screens and an intuitive user interface for ease of training and operations. In particular, the Ship Commander's Console comprises two multi-touch screens that allow commanders to quickly access and manipulate information from both the ICC and combat systems, thus enhancing the decision-making process.

A LMV Simulator Centre was also developed to reduce shipboard training time, which would conventionally require operational ships to be equipped with additional training systems. This shore trainer is designed with an immersive ICC set-up and simulated out-of-window views to achieve realistic training.

Profile of Team Lead

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