Ship Survivability Enhancement Program: Feasibility Study Report

This report examines the feasibility of undertaking a series of experiments and exercises, using a decommissioned Destroyer Escort, aimed at generating information that will enhance ship survivability. Consideration is given to the sites for these experiments, timing, cost and manpower implications to Navy and DSTO, and to the range of experiments to be undertaken. It is recommended that some experiments be undertaken immediately before decommissioning and some immediately after, and that the sites at which these are to be done should be in Western Australia. The recommended experiments fall into four groups (1) Electromagnetic Transient Propagation, (2) Underwater Explosive Shock Response, (3) Weapons Effects, Fire, Smoke, Damage Control and Personnel Protection, and (4) Weapons Demonstration Firings. A program is proposed whereby each set of experiments can be accepted or rejected as a whole without influencing the others.