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This paper describes the problem and solution to the unloading of modern merchant ships in a contingency environment such as support of amphibious operations. These ships are primarily non-self-sustaining Containerships with some Bargeships and a small but growing number of Roll-on/Roll-off (RO/RO) ships. Such ships are highly port facility dependent and would present problems in a contingency environment lacking intact port facilities. The conceptual approaches, development and conclusions are presented. It appears that the advantages of logistics efficiency made possible by these intermodal ships outweigh the problems of providing deployable unloading systems where there are no port facilities.

The prototype Reserve Merchant Ship Defense System (RMSDS) Facility will provide a base for naval helicopter operations on board a commerical Container ship with minimal time and ship conversion effort. Basically, the design makes use of ISO dimensioned compatible modules to provide for living and operational support facilities for a Navy support detachment. Initially, the design has been developed to suit the Lighting Class of Containership and will support four SH-3H type helicopters and a naval detachment of sixty-five officers and men. This facility consists of four major elements, which are: Flight Deck, Accommodation Array, Hangar Array, and JP-5 Fuel System Storage and Service Array. Modular construction will be utilized to be the maximum exit possible so as to aid in assembly, disassembly, and transportation of the RMSDS Facility. Interconnections between the various modules are all of the quick disconnect type, in keeping with the modular concept, thereby minimizing the potential for delays in assembly and disassembly.

U.S. merchant ship owners have recently been constructing a high percentage of special purpose ships. Some of these ships are not achieving their full economic potential due to changing trade patterns. Due to the high cost of conversion, lay-up is often the more attractive alternative. This situation should cause ship owners to consider future mission conversion during initial ship design. Design for relatively easy mission conversion would not only be an advantage to a ship owner, but would also facilitate the use of merchant ships in military support roles. Based on the thesis that the needs of merchant ship owners and the needs of the military are more compatible than is generally recognized and in an effort to stimulate discussion, the author proposes three conceptual designs as examples of how future U.S. merchant ships could be designed to facilitate both their conversion to other roles, as commercial trade patterns change, and their conversion to various military support roles. The examples include: (1) a coastal bulker/tanker; (2) a national emergency economy defense ship (NEEDS); and (3) an all-deck multipurpose ship.

In the past two decades the U.S. Overseas Supply Base structure has greatly diminished, stretching the supply lines to deployed Navy forces. At the same time rapidly rising shipbuilding costs have caused new combatant ship construction to squeeze out new replenishment ship construction. The result is longer supply lines with fewer assets to support them. Merchant ships show great promise in augmenting Navy replenishment ships in some situations, but now have no interface capability for “at—sea” transfer of dry cargo. The aim of the Merchant Ship Naval Augmentation Program (MSNAP) is to provide adapter packages that provide a merchant ship with this capability on short notice and with inexpensive components. Some conceptual component designs have been developed, and limited feasibility testing has been conducted. However, many of the critical problems yet remain to be solved by the Naval Engineering Community.

A growing gap exists between U.S. Navy communications and Merchant Marine communications. As naval communications becomes more sophisticated, the capability of communications between U.S. Navy ships and U.S. Merchant Ships becomes reduced. Two systems have been developed to improve Merchant Ship communications. an imporved High Frequency System using digital selective calling and a Satellite Communication System. Brief technical descriptions of these systems are given to acquaint the “non—communicator” with these communications improvements.