Technology for Shipbuilding Affordability

FTI’s research effort will be focused on integrating affordability considerations into the development of systems and technologies for Navy ships. This objective represents a significant opportunity to improve the quality and effectiveness of investment decisions for ship systems. Assessing affordability in the initial screening of alternatives – a process that has traditionally been made primarily based on system effectiveness, will greatly improve the decision process. Affordability is often not considered until a screened set of alternatives was established, even though experience shows that affordability needs to be considered from the beginning of the conceptual development process and then reevaluated throughout all project phases. Additionally, this effort will demonstrate how Navy ship-system data sources can be integrated together within a structured desktop computer-tool to provide both insight and traceability from requirements analysis—to performance evaluation—to Life Cycle Cost (LCC). This evaluation concept provides insight into the parameters affecting Navy system affordability, such as cost, performance, risk, and schedule. The tools developed employ DoD-accepted cost models, analysis tools, data and processes that enable analysts and planners to conduct cost and performance evaluations, quickly and with little specialized training. Although based on Navy data, these tools may also be applied to commercial shipbuilding.