Simplified Topside Design and Assessment Tool

A ship’s Radar Cross Section (RCS) affects the range at which Navy surface ships can be detected and targeted by adversary radar and missiles. Currently, RCS can either be quickly estimated, with high error margin, by comparing the candidate ship’s shape and size to known ships or accurately calculated through modeling and simulation efforts over several months. An approximate analysis method is needed that allows for rapid assessment of multiple design considerations and tradeoff studies during the preliminary ship design phases. Temeku proposes a methodology, the RCS Estimation Method, which manifests itself in the creation of a Signature Management Tool (SMT) that allows the user to go from concept to RCS analysis in a day and also define, maintain, and augment high fidelity models. This solution uses software applications created and validated over the past ten years, such as the Hip Pocket Estimator and “Pretty Good RCS Code” (PGRC). The integration of these applications into the SMT allows RCS analysts to create RCS budgets and analyze a design concept within a day. Once completed, an expert user of the SMT can save many man-years of effort associated with concept development, minimizing analysis lag, and redesign activities.