Survey of reduced workload and crewing strategies for ocean patrol vessels

The U.S. Coast Guard is in the concept exploration phase of its Integrated Deepwater System (IDS) acquisition project. This project will define the next generation of surface, air and command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C41SR) assets used to perform the Coast Guard's missions in the IDS environment (>50 NM off the U.S. coastline). As part of early technology investigations, the needs exist to: (1) analyze the workload requirements of the IDS, (2) identify alternative means to perform ship's work, and (3) optimize ship manning consistent with ship workload, performance criteria, and the available tools and equipment aboard. To reduce shipboard work requires an understanding of the mission and support requirements placed on the vessel and crew, how these requirements are currently met, and how requirements might otherwise be met to reduce workload and crew size This study examined currently implemented workload and manpower reducing approaches of commercial maritime fleets, U.S. and foreign navies, and foreign coast guards. These approaches were analyzed according to evaluation criteria approved by the IDS acquisition project team. From this, strategies for shipboard work reduction that may be considered for adoption by the IDS were identified and analyzed according to performance and costs factors. Ten workload-reducing strategies were identified: damage control, bridge, multiple crewing, engineering, risk acceptance, modularity, deck, enabling technologies, ship/personnel readiness, and operability and maintainability.