This study provides a program overview of acquisition options available for the Commonwealth of Australia's next generation naval surface combatant and identifies internal and external factors that can influence a major ship acquisition program. The authors address questions relating to available ship design and build options; various phases, options, and decisions; and aspects that can contribute to the success of an acquisition program.
Keeping Major Naval Ship Acquisitions on Course
Key Considerations for Managing Australia's SEA 5000 Future Frigate Program
Download
Download eBook for Free
| Format | File Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PDF file | 1.1 MB | Use Adobe Acrobat Reader version 10 or higher for the best experience. |
Purchase
Purchase Print Copy
| Format | List Price | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add to Cart | Paperback224 pages | $29.50 | $23.60 20% Web Discount |
Research Questions
- What ship design and build options are available and what are the implications of choosing among the various options?
- In a naval ship acquisition program, what are the various phases, options, and decisions?
- What important aspects can contribute to the success of an acquisition program?
This study provides a program overview of acquisition options available for the Commonwealth of Australia's next generation naval surface combatant and identifies internal and external factors that can influence a major ship acquisition program. The authors address questions relating to available ship design and build options; various phases, options, and decisions; and aspects that can contribute to the success of an acquisition program. Three broad options for designing and building the new ship include a new design, tailor-made to Royal Australian Navy specifications and requirements; a military off-the-shelf design, which would involve making only minor modifications to an existing ship design; and an evolved military off-the-shelf design, which would involve making more significant modifications to an existing ship design. The authors discuss lessons learned as they apply to different phases of a shipbuilding program and highlight the lessons most applicable to the acquisition strategy selected.
Key Findings
Three Design and Build Options Are Available
- The first option is a new design, essentially designing from scratch. This option would be designed and tailor-made to Royal Australian Navy specifications and requirements.
- Another option is called military off-the-shelf (MOTS), which entails acquiring an existing ship design from an Australian or foreign ship producer and making only minor modifications to the design.
- The last option is an evolved MOTS, which also entails acquiring an existing ship design from an Australian or foreign ship producer but making significant modifications to the design.
Recommendations
- The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) should be an intelligent and informed partner in the acquisition process, by involving the appropriate organizations early and often, clearly assigning roles and responsibilities, and understanding the cost and schedule implications of options.
- RAN should clearly state its requirements.
- RAN should also understand and obtain the required intellectual property rights.
- It should strive for program stability.
- It should commence construction only after designs have been largely completed.
- RAN should maintain a strategic perspective, keeping in mind how the new platform will integrate with the capabilities of other platforms.
- Critical near-term questions facing the SEA 5000 Future Frigate program should be addressed, including determining the operational and performance requirements and the technical requirement for the future frigate, deciding on the best design option, deciding how to engage with industry and how the program office will monitor the program, and deciding how the class will be supported throughout its life.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Introduction
Chapter Two
Establishing and Supporting a Program
Chapter Three
SEA 5000 Acquisition Options
Chapter Four
Overview of a Naval Shipbuilding Program
Chapter Five
Acquisition and Contracting Strategy
Chapter Six
The Solutions Analysis Phase
Chapter Seven
Design Activities
Chapter Eight
Manufacturing and Build
Chapter Nine
Test and Trials
Chapter Ten
Operations and Support
Chapter Eleven
Summary Comments
Appendix A
Overview of Recent Shipbuilding Programs in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom
Appendix B
Technology Readiness Levels
Appendix C
Best Practices in Scheduling
Research conducted by
This research was conducted within the Acquisition and Technology Policy Center of the RAND National Security Research Division (NSRD).
This report is part of the RAND Corporation Research report series. RAND reports present research findings and objective analysis that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.
This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.