Feature 6 | SURFACE COMBATANTS
Venator provides framework for a
reconfigurable warship
UK-based naval architecture and systems engineering house BMT
Defence Services Ltd has completed an in-house research study intended
to establish a framework to help understand the key design drivers, and
bound the solution space, for a future reconfigurable minor warship design.
T
he seven–month private venture
studies package, known internally as
Project Venator, has sought to identify
the top-level requirements and design enablers
that would confer the ability to re-configure a
warship to satisfy a range of different roles.
According to BMT, the study’s assumptions
are broadly coherent with many of the
requirements established by the UK Ministry
of Defence under its Sustained Surface
Combatant Capability (S2C2) ‘Pathfinder’
initiative; in particular, its conclusions are
intended to help inform the requirements for
the C3 Ocean Capable Patrol Vessel (OCPV), Reconfigurability is increasingly attractive to navies that want to be able to adjust the
which is currently envisaged to be part of balance of roles and missions performed over time.
S2C2’s projected three-tier Future Surface
Combatant solution set.
According to BMT, reconfigurability is include a recommendation to conduct further potential vessel size, investigate hydrodynamic
increasingly attractive to navies that want to be investigations of a reconfigurable small surface performance (examining both hull size and
able to adjust the balance of roles and missions combatant/mine countermeasures asset. hullform type), and consider options to enable
performed by individual units warships in a Essentially this concept was for a littoral warfare modularity and payload interchangeability.
flotilla as tasking priorities evolve over time. minor warship that would fill a specialist littoral With these top-level objectives in mind,
This offers improved role (versus hull number) role, transcending the then extant boundaries the Project Venator team sought to develop
flexibility through life. between the Future Surface Combatant and concept designs that could address a range
However, the company also believes the Future Mine Countermeasures Capability. of disparate and challenging requirements.
that the nature of reconfigurability, and its A full research and development proposal On the one hand, it was seeking to offer an
underpinning technology enablers, are not fully was staffed by BMT in September 2006. affordable solution to a complex capability
understood. Furthermore, it further argues Subsequently, the company’s ideas were further requirement (by adopting a common platform
that the impact of modular, interchangeable refined through S2C2 participation, leading to design and equipments for a wide range of
mission payloads on platform design is also an the formal commencement of Project Venator roles while maximising mission availability
area requiring further analysis. in February 2007. through flexible and adaptable design). At the
BMT Defence Services first began to explore Working with sister companies BMT same time, it also wanted to address shortfalls
the concept of an Auxiliary Surface Combatant SEATECH and BMT Nigel Gee, BMT Defence in the ‘global deployability’ of legacy minor
– a nascent ship type broadly comparable to Services examined how a basically common warships.
the projected C3 OCPV – in 2003 as a result minor warship platform, sized and powered Taking forward the illustrative C3
of a Ministry of Defence-sponsored feasibility for global deployment, could be reconfigured requirement, the key requirements set
study examining the potential of Heavy Lift to execute alternative mine countermeasures adopted for Project Venator assumed the
Motherships to deploy small deployable asset (MCM), MCM support, hydrographic following performance and mission payload
packages into the theatre of operations. survey, maritime security operations (MSO), characteristics:
While the company’s analyses, performed or offshore patrol missions as operational • Maximum speed of 25knots (to track
in conjunction with UCL, determined that taskings demand. and stop vessels)
the Mothership concept was sub-optimal in The study sought to develop a baseline • Cruise speed of 18knots (task group
many respects, the study’s conclusions did concept design to identify design drivers and operations)
Warship Technology January 2008 33
WT Jan - p33+34.indd 33 08/01/2008 15:06:40
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