HIGH-SPEED SEALIFT TECHNOLOGY

This paper describes a process that is currently being used within DoD and industry to examine the possibilities offered by technology to en hance the transport performance of high-speed commercial and military sealift. Technology projections are presented for both the near-term a nd the far-term. The impact of technology projections on transport per formance properties is assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively. These assessments provide significant insight into the overall transp ort performance potential of hullforms and other technologies of inter est, considerably in advance of detailed design studies. The quantitat ive assessment uses a derivation of the empirical method published by Kennell [1](4), which provides simple parametric relationships between mission requirements, expressed in terms of speed, range and payload, and design characteristics, expressed in terms of displacement, insta lled power and fuel weight, to compare the various hullforms and other technologies of interest. The qualitative assessment applies an estab lished decision-making method to ascertain the relative capabilities a nd relative risks of hullforms and other technologies of interest for significant aspects of sea transport, other than speed, range and payl oad. While the methods used are generic, the data selected and results presented are aimed at ships capable of rapidly transporting heavy ca rgo over long distances.