To increase its current fleet from 281 ships to 313 ships, the Navy plans to build between seven and fourteen ships a year for the next 5 years. These include one CVN- 21 aircraft carrier, 23 Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), eight DD(X) destroyers and five Virginia class attack submarines. This number will makeup the current 32 ship shortfall and will include replacements for ships scheduled to be retired. Adm. Michael Mullen, the Chief of Naval Operations, estimates it will take an average of $13.5 billion a year in 2006 dollars to support this effort. With a requested $10.57 billion 2007 budget there is a $2.93 billion shortfall starting next year which has initiated a ship building affordability initiative in the Navy. The EMPF, thru the Office of Naval Research (ONR), has been actively addressing this initiative through innovative investment recommendations in electronic manufacturing technology.

Integrated electronics, propulsion & weapons systems are key high-cost contributors to ship acquisition. These costs are realized due to custom requirements and correlating custom electronic designs. Risks associated with the integration of advanced electronic device and material technologies are inhibiting the adoption of state of the art systems and subsystems that will create transformational cost reductions to current naval ships. The EMPF has been involved in reducing the acquisition cost of Electronics technologies for specific systems/subsystems on target platforms through the introduction of less expensive, smaller, lighter and better performance electronic technologies. Cost savings can also be realized through the insertion of COTS, open systems, and an increased amount of electronic functional integration.

Potential systems of interest are:

• Radar
  • Affordable T/R Modules for Phased Array Antennas
  • Affordable Power Amplifiers for Phased Array Antennas
  • Affordable Backplane and Support Electronics
    
    
• Communications Systems
  • Combined Antenna Functions to Drive Down the Acquisition Cost of Antennas
  • Improved Affordability through High Power Integrated Power Amplifiers
    
    
• Sonar
  • Affordable Transducers and Transducer E-O Networks through Chip Scale Integration and Manufacturing Process Improvements
  • Affordable High Energy Acoustic Power Amplifiers and their Networks through Chip Scale Manufacturing Process Improvements.
    
    
• Navigation
  • New sensor technologies such as fiberoptic gyros
  • Integrate manufacturing technologies into the SSBN
  • Integration of “stovepipe” navigation technologies (Doppler Velocity Log and Fathometer) into one FOG based system
    
    
• Power Electronics
  • PCM Affordability through Improved Power Electronics Module (PEM) Manufacturing
  • Motor Controller Affordability through Improved Enclosure Communications Module Design and Manufacturing
  • Permanent Magnet Motor Monolithic Stator (PMMS) Affordability through Improved Segmented Stator Manufacturing
    
    
• Propulsion
  • Affordability through Maximized Efficiency in Manufacturing of propulsion electronic converters
  • Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) affordability through improved heat sink design and power conversion module electronics manufacturability

The EMPF has several projects underway aimed at reducing the costs of shipboard electronics. Hermetic sealing of T/R modules for phased arrays project is investigating the cost reductions for radar t/r modules by eliminating the expensive hermetic enclosure and replacing it with a MMIC wafer level coating that provides the needed environmental protection.

Manufacturing of Light Activated Semiconductor Switches (LASS) will develop automated manufacturing processing for the production of reduced cost Light Activated Semiconductor Switches. Manufacturing and packaging of power systems for DD(X) and Carriers (Solid state transformer). SiGe SoC initially for conformal mounting on aircraft this technology is directly applicable to ship radars. LCS Phase 2 planned to start in FY 2007 will leverage the phase one effort investigation by building a prototype multifunction antenna for the LCS ship. DDG-1000/LCS/CVN-21 Affordability (Continued from page 1)

Enhanced 3D design and Production Process Methodology planned to start in FY 2007 will utilize statistical methods, production tolerance analysis and 3D RF analysis to improve first time yield and producibility of complex designs resulting in substantial cost savings for RF products.

In addition the EMPF is investigating the affordability impact of the following:

• Multi-function radar affordability through highly integrated Systems on a chip technology
  
  
• Reduced power conversion requirements through smart integration of stored energy
  
  
• Integrated submarine/shipboard navigation system
  
  
• Power conversion components and systems affordability through improved thermal management and manufacturing processes
  
  
• Manufacturability of low cost hi power SiC limiters/ switches for naval EW and radar systems

The EMPF will continue to be an active partner in the Navy’s ship building affordability initiative by developing projects that reduce the acquisition costs of ship board electronics through the introduction of advanced manufacturing processes, improved electronic devices, materials and system technologies. Expanded use of COTS, open systems and an increased use of electronic functional integration will be applied to ship board systems resulting in substantial savings to the Navy.