Expeditionary Ship Repair Innovation

NCMS Project #: 142216

Problem: With less new ship builds in the pipeline worldwide and with shipyards at critical capacity, global supply chains are in danger of continued major disruptions, affecting the livelihood of industry and the American public. To eliminate this “pinch point” in the global supply chain, responsible for moving 80% of the world’s goods internationally, novel and innovative expeditionary maritime repair and sustainment capabilities need to be developed, assessed, and rapidly adopted by the shipping community. The United States (U.S.) Navy, also experiencing fewer ship builds and limited shipyard capacity, must explore innovative maintenance technologies in an expeditionary environment to ensure a more ready and effective Naval force.

Benefit: Information will be gathered that can be used not only for the U. S. Navy, but also transitioned to the commercial shipping industry, allowing organizations to improve maintenance efficiency and reduce expenses and supply chain disruptions. This will create greater availability and lower cost of goods for the American public, creating the potential for an improved U.S. economy.

Solution/Approach: The objective of this project is to rapidly assess expeditionary maritime repair and sustainment technologies and processes in order to maximize the time a vessel is operational and minimize the time needed to complete maintenance in repair facilities at shipyards. The project team will assess a wide swath of available and emerging capabilities and then perform a “deep dive” assessment of the most promising expeditionary maintenance and sustainment technologies to assist maritime users make the best technology transition decisions in support of their operational objectives.

Impact on Warfighter: