Lloyds Register Marine Services

Technical news and information for the naval industry

Naval Bulletin

August 2004 Issue 2

Welcome to the second issue

of Lloyds Registers Naval Bulletin, Lloyds Registers news and technical publication produced exclusively for the naval industry.

In this issue 2
PACSCAT Partially Air-Cushion Support Catamaran Naval Technical Committee appoints new chairman

3
Naval ship Rules Whats new for 2004

4
A partnership in excellence: Lloyds Register and the RNZN

6
NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS)

7
LPDs transferring to naval class

8
Conferences and exhibitions

Cover Picture:Ex HMS Coventry on sea trials during her regeneration and upgrade for the Romanian Navy by BAES Systems Customer Solutions and Support. Lloyd's Register EMEA have undertaken surveys of hull and machinery.

PACSCAT Partially Air-Cushion Support Catamaran

PACSCAT Partially
Air-Cushion Support Catamaran
Lloyd's Register has appraised the design of a novel fast landing craft under development by QinetiQ in the UK.
The PACSCAT concept, which is also the subject of a three year EU funded research project focussing on river transport applications, offers high speed, and good payload carrying capabilities combined with a shallow draft, thus affording it exceptional beaching qualities for off-loading vehicles, men, and logistics in support of amphibious operations. It is also claimed to have lower operating costs than a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) and, by virtue of its novel hullform, to have better beaching qualities than other Surface Effect Ship [SES] hullforms. The concept was developed by John Lewthwaite of IMAA who is actively involved in the EU project and has teamed with QinetiQ to address the military market. A third scale manned model has been produced and is reported to have confirmed the predicted operational advantages. The designers have focussed on a craft design with the same principal dimensions as the Landing Craft Utility Mk10 (LCU Mk10), currently in operation with the UK Royal Marines, thus ensuring that it will fit the dock dimensions of the new Royal Navy LPDs, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark. The increased speed of the PACSCAT, of 25 knots in sea state 2, combined with its 55 tonne payload will make over-the-horizon amphibious operations more practicable for task force commanders seeking to maintain a high operational tempo at a tactically desirable stand-off distance. The craft will be fitted with water-jets driven by marine diesel engines. The scantlings and arrangement of the aluminium structure have been appraised by Lloyd's Register and verified as satisfying the requirements for the assignment of class.

Artists impression of PACSCAT at sea.

Naval Ship Technical Committee appoints new chairman

At the fifth meeting of the Naval Ship Technical Committee (NSTC), held in London on June 3, 2004, the Committee voted to appoint Rear Admiral R. M. Lutje Schipholt as the new chairman, replacing Vice Admiral Sir Robert Hill. Sir Robert has been the NSTC chairman since its inception and has played a key role during the development and introduction of Lloyds Registers Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Naval Ships. He has now completed the maximum term for this appointment but will remain a member of the NSTC and the General Committee of Lloyds Register. Admiral Lutje Schipholt is a long serving member of the NSTC. As a lieutenant he took the RN Advanced Marine Engineering Course at RNC Greenwich Department in the UK MoD. He rose to become Head of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and Chief Naval Engineer Officer, before taking up a NATO communications systems appointment. On retiring from the Royal Netherlands Navy he took up a senior appointment in TNO, the Netherlands organization for applied scientific research, becoming a member of the TNO Management Board. He remains an adviser to Government in the Netherlands.

2 Naval Bulletin August 2004

Naval ship Rules Whats new for 2004

Naval ship Rules Whats new for 2004

A number of Rule changes have been agreed which will appear in the next issue of Lloyds Registers Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Naval Ships which is scheduled for publication in January 2005.

The latest Naval Ship Technical Committee (NSTC), which convened in June 2004, was presented with a wide range of improvements and additions to the Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Naval Ships. The key Rule changes agreed are highlighted below.

Mechanical Systems
Mechanical aspects of the design of naval ships have also benefited from developments in merchant ship design practice which have additionally been subjected to the scrutiny of the Machinery Systems Focus Group for their consideration of the naval applicability. Such developments include greater scrutiny of crankcase relief valves, strengthening of hydraulic systems, and requirements governing the use of plastic pipes. In addition, because of the extensive use of flexible pipes onboard naval vessels, the Rules will now include the requirement for a flexible hose and bellows expansion piece register.

Waste systems have now, for the first time, been included in the naval ship Rules a fact which recognises the importance of these systems to the operational performance of the ship. Requirements for fin stabilisers have also been developed and will be presented in a single new section of the Rules which integrates the structural, mechanical, control engineering, and trials and testing requirements for fin stabilisers. The requirements for podded propulsors, for use in applications where they are considered appropriate, have also been incorporated into the Rules for naval ships and have benefited from the feedback and experience of both manufacturers and operators. Requirements for welding and NDE have been revised to reflect modern practice and techniques, and the requirements for openings in main vehicle decks have been aligned with those for merchant ships. Amendments to SOLAS, which are applicable to machinery and engineering systems, together with changes to requirements covering material containing asbestos and fire safety have also been agreed for inclusion in the naval ship Rules. While these are not mandatory for naval ships it is considered that they contribute significantly to ship safety and as such add value to naval ships.

Electrical Systems
Recent changes to the merchant ship Rules in respect of electrical engineering requirements, resulting from changes to statutory requirements, operational experience and technical developments, were proposed and accepted into the naval ship Rules after consideration by the Naval Ship Rules Electrical Focus Group to ensure their applicability to naval vessels. Similarly, improvements in ingress protection requirements have been adopted to address inadequacies in the current standards identified from operational experience. Additionally, the ELS power notation has also been amended to permit the adoption of standards other than NATO STANAG 1008. The requirements for electromagnetic compatibility have also been revised to take account of the potentially more onerous operating environment which may exist onboard naval vessels.

Hull
The requirements for towing arrangements for naval vessels have been the focus of a considerable amount of work. Three optional notations, TA1, TA2, and TA3, were agreed which will designate naval ships as being fitted with an appropriate towing arrangement capable of towing another vessel at 6 knots. The numeral indicates increasing wind speed and weather, where 1 represents the most onerous conditions. On the basis that there is a wide variation in towing equipment and practice between countries, the design arrangements will be agreed between the designer and the Naval Authority. As a consequence, while basic minimum standards for vital aspects of the design are stipulated, the Rules focus on the strength requirements of fittings and equipment.

Naval Bulletin August 2004

A partnership in excellence: LR and the RNZN

The following article first appeared in the March 2004 issue of Navy Today, the official publication of the Royal New Zealand Navy, and is published here in full with its permission. It provides a graphic operators perspective on how Lloyd's Register is working with navies to add value to their operations.

A partnership in excellence: Lloyds Register and the RNZN

By WOMT Steve Bradley RNZN, Fleet Engineering Centre
In previous editions of Navy Today it has been mentioned that Lloyd's Registers approval had been sought in various situations. The reason is that HMNZ Ships Endeavour, Resolution and Manawanui are classed by Lloyds Register and with the assistance of the Navys Registered Vessels Coordinator (the author), they are periodically surveyed by Lloyds Register Group surveyors. A survey means a regular, full and intrusive inspection of the hull and plant, and, where appropriate, performance trials.
The majority of these surveys occur whilst our ships are in Auckland, but if required ships MEOs can arrange to use Lloyd's Register Group surveyors wherever their vessel happens to require assistance. One recent example was Endeavour and her machinery monitoring system problems, which occurred whilst she was on an operational visit to Melbourne last year. Lloyd's Registers advice (together with AseaBrownBoveri technical assistance) enabled Endeavour to return safely to New Zealand for repairs. To understand why we class three RNZN ships with Lloyd's Register, you must first understand why ships are classed and where Lloyd's Register fit into the whole scheme of things. Lloyd's Register owes its name and foundation to a 17th century London coffee house owned by Edward Lloyd, a favourite haunt of marine underwriters, merchants and others, all connected with shipping. Lloyd helped them to exchange information by circulating a printed sheet of all the news he heard. In 1760, the Register Society was formed by the coffee house customers. The Society printed the first Register of Ships in 1764 to give both underwriters and merchants an idea of the condition of the vessels they insured and chartered. This collaboration achieved two main goals; it greatly improved the condition of the vessels, which in turn increased the onboard safety for the sailors of the time, and enabled more profit for the merchants. The system of using a group of field experts to set standards, with the owners complying and allowing themselves to be independently audited, and then the insurance underwriters showing favour to those owners, was so successful it became replicated around the world by other societies, however it was Lloyds Register that led the way. In 1852, Lloyd's Register opened its first overseas office in Canada; today there are Lloyd's Register Group offices in every major port in the world, with thousands of staff working in the marine sector, assisting ship owners. Although this system worked well, the owners had to buy into the idea; if they refused, all that would happen is their insurance would go up.

HMNZS Endeavour (by WOMT Steve Bradley RNZN, Fleet Engineering Centre)

4 Naval Bulletin August 2004

To ensure that standards were being maintained overseas, during the mid19th century various treaties were signed between maritime nations and brought into force. Effectively this meant that for a vessel to operate commercially between ports it had to prove that it complied. Over the years, several countries proposed that a permanent international body should be established to promote maritime safety more effectively, but it was not until the establishment of the United Nations itself that these hopes were realised. In 1958 the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Convention was agreed and came into force and the new IMO met for the first time the following year. The purposes of the IMO, as summarised by Article 1(a) of the Convention, are: ...to provide machinery for cooperation among Governments in the field of governmental regulation and practices relating to technical matters of all kinds affecting shipping engaged in international trade; to encourage and facilitate the general adoption of the highest practicable standards in matters concerning maritime safety, efficiency of navigation and prevention and control of marine pollution from ships. In a nutshell, the various committees (of which the two important ones are the Maritime Safety Committee [MSC] and the Maritime Environmental

Protection Committee [MEPC]) at IMO set the standards and rules. These are then interpreted by the classification societies, which are empowered to issue statutory certificates on behalf of the flag states, who then in turn enforce the rules by registering the vessels on a list and checking that they are in possession of these certificates. So that the classification society can ensure that a vessel is in good shape and is compliant they will carry out various classification type surveys (full intrusive inspection and where appropriate, performance trials), along with the specific statutory inspections. It should be added at this point that the statutory certificates referred to are only mandatory for commercial vessels over 500 tonnes, but for long accepted national reasons, the worlds naval and military vessels are not bound by the same rules. However, here in New Zealand, our Chief of Navy requires all RNZN vessels to comply with the regulations of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto [MARPOL 73/78]. This has been specifically applied to the RNZN by the Maritime Transport Act 1994. That aside, the Chief of Navy also requires (through a Navy Order) that all our vessels are also bound by the regulations of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea [SOLAS], and that as an organisation we should champion the spirit of the rules. Which brings us back to Endeavour, Resolution and Manawanui, which are maintained in accordance with the classification requirements of Lloyd's Register and hold all statutory certificates, much the same as any other commercial vessel. The only difference is that our ships do not appear on the NZ Maritime Safety Authority register of New Zealand Flagged Vessels, while our crews are also required to comply with the

HMNZS Manawanui

RNZNs own stringent rules as well. It could be said that they get the best of both worlds! There are many advantages in being classed with Lloyd's Register, including the free flow of information with regard to commercial standards and having a known benchmark for contractors to achieve before they are permitted to install equipment into our vessels. This has been most useful recently with fitting new Machinery Monitoring Systems in Endeavour and Resolution. Also we gained advice and guidance on site with regard to structural changes to our vessels, such as the recent aft winch equipment removal from Resolution. The surveyor is not in an active project manager, but acts as an invaluable overseer to ensure that our lead contractor is providing the RNZN with a product that is of the very highest quality. The name Lloyd's Register has always been synonymous with quality, so with the RNZN vision of becoming the best small-nation navy, the partnership is perhaps appropriate and may in fact grow especially with the approaching procurement of Project Protector vessels, which are also likely to be built to commercial standards. In the meantime Lloyd's Register, the Fleet Engineering Center and ships staff in Endeavour, Resolution and Manawanui will continue to maintain these vessels to the same high standards as any other commercial vessel on the NZ MSA list, as well as meet the specific warship standards inspected by the Maritime Operational Evaluation Team (MOET).
Naval Bulletin August 2004

HMNZS Resolution

NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS)

NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS)

A Rolls-Royce Marine led team has won a contract from the UK MoD to supply the replacement for LR5, the 1974 built submarine rescue vehicle. The 47m (US$85.5m) government-owned, contractor-operated deal will be jointly owned by Norway, France and the UK and will cover support and operation of NSRS for the first ten years of operation at HM Naval Base Clyde. The system is expected to achieve operational capability in December 2006 and will remain in service for 25 years.

The contract will involve the supply, operation, and maintenance of a free swimming Submarine Rescue Vehicle (SRV) which will have a crew of three and be capable of rescuing submariners from a depth of 600m in groups of 15 in sea conditions up to sea state 6. An unmanned remotely operated vehicle (ROV), used for locating the distressed submarine (DISSUB), a portable launch and recovery installation, decompression chambers, accommodation and medical facilities will also form part of the contract.

During an emergency scenario the systems and equipment will be air freighted, where necessary, to a convenient location prior to installation on a mothership of opportunity for transport to the scene of the DISSUB. The project team have recognised that the integration risks are best mitigated by mandating the classification and certification of NSRS. The SRV is to be designed and constructed in accordance with Lloyd's Registers Rules and Regulations for the Construction and

Classification of Submersibles and Underwater Vehicles. The launch and recovery system together with the deck decompression system, including transfer under pressure arrangements and other equipment will also be designed and constructed in accordance with Lloyds Registers requirements. This demanding project will draw on Lloyd's Registers specialist expertise in this field which includes the classification of LR5 itself, both during construction and its major refit, numerous decompression facilities, and commercial submersible classification activities. In support of Rolls-Royce, Lloyd's Register has also proposed additional services, based on its Ship Emergency Response Service [SERS], as part of the mobilisation team which would provide technical assurance and certification of mothership integration issues and operational technical support during rescue scenarios.

The Submarine Rescue Vehicle dives to dock with the submarine hatch, allowing crew to be transferred. Artists impression by The Digital Design Studio, Glasgow School of Art, courtesy of Rolls-Royce plc.

6 Naval Bulletin August 2004

LPDs transferring to naval class

LPDs transferring to naval class

The Albion Class Landing Platform Dock Ships (LPDs) are currently undergoing the process of transferring from merchant class to naval class. HMS Albion was built to Lloyds Registers Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Ships at BAE Systems, Barrow-in-Furness, and has been operating under the merchant ship class system since delivery, undergoing her first annual survey in April 2004. Her sister ship, HMS Bulwark, is currently under survey during construction at Barrow and is due to be delivered later this year.

Lloyds Registers Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Naval Ships, now in their fourth edition (July 2003), have been tested and refined during their application to existing vessels such as the CVSGs, Ark Royal and Illutrious, HMS Scott, and the Type 23 Frigates. The benefits of operating under naval class include the option of tailoring survey periods and the increased scope of the Rules which cover military hull features and auxiliary systems thereby offering a more comprehensive survey approach to the ship. The role of the LPD as an assault ship is to act as an afloat command platform, transporting and deploying troops and their equipment. Each ship is designed to carry approximately 300 troops, with an overload of approximately a further 400. There is vehicle deck capacity for up to six tanks or around 30 armoured all-terrain tracked carriers, and a floodable well dock has the capacity to take four Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mk10

(each capable of carrying a Challenger 2 tank). In addition four smaller Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) Mk5, each capable of carrying 35 troops, are carried on davits. The landing craft, LCU Mk10s and LCVP Mk5 Batch II, are also all built to Lloyds Register class. Transfer to naval class of the landing craft is also envisaged. On successful completion of the transfer to naval class, the LPDs will be technically eligible for the following Lloyd's Register naval class notations, which are broadly equivalent to the current merchant notations: 100A1 NS1 Landing Platform Dock SA1 AIR Ice Class 1C LMC. The increased scope of naval classification means that military design features such as vehicle and aircraft fuelling systems, chilled water, high pressure sea water, internal watertight integrity, equipment seating, bollards, fairleads and towing arrangements, can now be included in the survey regime.

HMS Albion at Ramsden Dock

HMS Albion during sea trials

The transfer of class process has taken place in two stages: a design review of the additional military features to determine compliance with the naval Rules, followed by survey of these additional items on both vessels. The design review stage has involved specialists from Lloyds Registers London office from both hull and machinery departments working closely with BAE Systems to understand and verify the design. For the assignment of the AIR notation (mandatory notation for ships that operate aircraft), a flight deck assessment is being undertaken.

Naval Bulletin August 2004

Naval Bulletin

Exhibitions and conferences

Recent Events
At the International Naval Engineering Conference and Exhibition (INEC), held in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in March 2004, Norman Rattenbury (Lloyds Register), Alistair Greig (University College London) and David Brideaux (Canadian Armed Forces) presented a joint paper entitled, Application of naval ship damage control philosophy to merchant ships. The paper commences by outlining the driving factors behind the idea of applying naval ship damage control philosophies to merchant ship design development and operation. The approach to damage control adopted in naval ships is examined and its possible application to large passenger ships, ferries, and ships carrying dangerous cargoes is considered. The paper concludes with a review of likely candidate damage control philosophies for application in merchant ships. Also at INEC 2004 Norman Rattenbury (Lloyd's Register) presented a paper entitled Selection and use of standards for naval ships, which examines the case for the use of merchant ship standards for the design and construction of naval ships. The paper outlines the differences between naval and commercial practices in the selection and use of standards and elaborates on the drivers that stem from ship operating and regulatory requirements. The use of standards to address such requirements are discussed and processes for the selection of suitable and applicable standards outlined. The suitability and applicability of commercial standards for use in a naval application are demonstrated whereby the arrangements for enhanced availability of machinery on a merchant ship are shown to satisfy most of the redundancy requirements for survivability of a naval ship. At the Royal Institution of Naval Architects conference, Design and Operation of Trimaran Ships held in London in April 2004, Fai Cheng, Catherine Mayoss, and Tim Blanchard (all from Lloyd's Register) presented a paper entitled The Development of Trimaran Rules. The paper describes the structure and content of the trimaran Rules together with details of the development process undertaken with technical support from QinetiQ and funding from the UK MoD. Publication of the trimaran Rules is scheduled for mid 2005.

Forthcoming Events
Lloyd's Register will be running a naval classification executive briefing, Selecting Standards Key to Successful Procurement, for the second consecutive year at the SMi Future Surface Warships Conference, to be held in London. The conference will take place on September 22-23, 2004 and the executive briefing will follow on September 24, 2004.

Naval Bulletin
For further information on our marine services, please contact Robert Simpson: Tel: +44 (0)20 7423 1673 Fax: +44 (0)20 7423 2061 Email: robert.simpson@lr.org Editor: Michael Ash Naval Business Development Lloyds Register EMEA 71 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 4BS, UK Tel: + 44 (0)20 7709 9166 Fax: + 44 (0)20 7423 2057 Email: emea@lr.org Lloyds Register Asia Suite 3501 China Merchants Tower Shun Tak Centre, 168200 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong, SAR of PRC Tel: + 852 2287 9333 Fax: + 852 2526 2921 Email: asia@lr.org Lloyds Register Americas, Inc. 1401 Enclave Parkway, Suite 200 Houston, Texas, 77077, USA Tel: +1 281 675 3100 Fax: +1 281 675 3139 Email: americas@lr.org Services are provided by members of the Lloyds Register Group. June 2004 Lloyds Register Registered office: 71 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 4BS Naval Bulletin newsletter is produced by Marine Business Development and designed by Pipeline Design. Care is taken to ensure that the information in Naval Bulletin is accurate and up-to-date. However Lloyds Register accepts no responsibility for inaccuracies in, or changes to such information.

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Naval Bulletin August 2004