Meeting mission needs through proper technology application and platform selection

This paper presents a general methodology for matching envisioned near-shore and offshore missions with the required platform. In order to accomplish this, the mission requirements are subdivided into categories which can be directly correlated with hullform attributes or measures of effectiveness (MOEs). The platform types currently available are discussed indicating their uses and limits, as well as the identification of the mission categories which would benefit from their application. The advantages and issues associated with monohulls, catamarans, small waterplane area twin hulls (SWATHs), fixed platforms, hydrofoils and air cushion vehicles (ACVs) are presented. Because most platforms, can be characterized by hull shape and physical support, these two subjects form the basis for the organization of platform types within the paper. The platform characteristics investigated include: speed-versus-power, seakeeping (or sea-kindliness), shallow water capability, arrangeable volume, arrangeable deck space, payload capability, shallow water penetration and cost. The paper provides MOEs for assessing the matching of mission needs with technology applications through platform selection. It is these MOEs which form the basis of the decision-making process embodied in vessel selection and evaluation. A worked example of the application of the methodology and the use of the tools set forth in the paper is included