'ABCD Proposal' for a Smart Navy

[Shin Seung-min, Invited Professor at Pusan National University (Retired Navy Brigadier General)] In 2017, when the Egyptian Navy's 1000-class ship (ENS Shabab Misr) arrived in the Mediterranean Sea via the Indian Ocean, Egyptian Navy officials were all astonished. The Shabab Misr was a warship that had been operated by our Navy from 1988 to 2016 before being decommissioned. It is possible for a warship that was decommissioned after nearly 30 years of operational use to still be deployed on missions abroad because its propulsion system, like a human heart or legs, continues to function flawlessly. The ability of a long-used decommissioned warship to perform well is due to the high reliability of its propulsion system equipment and the continuous follow-up logistics support. Thus, the propulsion system is one of the most critical systems on a warship, alongside the combat system.

A significant change is underway in the propulsion systems of Republic of Korea Navy warships. Recently delivered to the Navy is a new patrol frigate (FFG-II, Daegu-class) equipped with a combined propulsion system that integrates traditional mechanical and electric propulsion. Electric propulsion systems are known to emit less underwater noise, making them effective for anti-submarine warfare operations. Research is actively ongoing to equip future combat ships solely with electric propulsion systems. To ensure the performance of next-generation warships such as light aircraft carriers and Korean-style destroyers, which are core future naval assets, I propose ABCD for securing highly reliable propulsion systems.

▲ Agile for SMART NAVY = The Republic of Korea Navy is striving to build a SMART NAVY by its 100th anniversary in 2045. The various advanced IT and mechanical equipment on warships are important individually, but systems such as combat and propulsion systems must be integrated to deliver maximum combat power. Based on past shipbuilding experience, equipping advanced propulsion systems with verified system integration is an essential condition for a SMART Battleship. Warships require over a decade for design and construction and must guarantee operational use for more than 30 years.

As detection equipment and weapon systems on combat ships advance, the demand for electrical power is increasing. Therefore, propulsion systems equipped during ship design must be future-oriented and capable of long-term operation to handle the required power. Once installed, propulsion systems are almost impossible to replace with new ones until the ship's end of life. Warships equipped with stable propulsion systems can continue to serve as reserve forces after decommissioning or be transferred to foreign countries to promote the status of Korea’s defense industry.

▲ Battle-ready operability = Warships must demonstrate combat power to flawlessly execute operational missions and win wars. Essential capabilities include responsiveness, reliability, and survivability.

Warships must maintain a state of readiness for emergency deployment and have propulsion systems capable of immediate response and rapid mission execution during crises. To ensure propulsion system reliability, proven systems should be adopted so that combat personnel can focus solely on their missions, minimizing opportunity costs caused by failures or downtime.

Propulsion system survivability means maintaining basic performance under abnormal conditions to return to base and sustaining operational continuity through rapid recovery. Responsiveness, reliability, and survivability are fundamental conditions not only for propulsion systems but also for maintaining overall warship combat power.

▲ Cost-effective management = When selecting propulsion systems, it is necessary to consider not only performance requirements but also the total life-cycle maintenance costs from acquisition to disposal. Compared to combat systems, propulsion systems generally operate longer hours, requiring significant investment in maintenance and management.

To address this, propulsion systems should be designed from the shipbuilding and design stages to reduce operational personnel and budget through automation and simplification. Additionally, feedback from maintenance personnel and operators should be incorporated to optimize equipment suitable for the ROK Navy environment. Past experience shows that initial stages of new propulsion system adoption involved additional costs and efforts due to trial and error.

Therefore, by establishing a Land-Based Test Site (LBTS), it is possible to identify key impact factors and achieve complete system integration when introducing new advanced propulsion systems, enhancing reliability. The LBTS can also serve as a training facility for operators during the introduction phase of new propulsion systems.

▲ Dependable domestic logistics = The best approach when equipment fails is on-site repair within the warship to restore performance in the shortest time. However, if the maintenance scope exceeds military capabilities or necessary parts are unavailable, performance must be restored through support from civilian companies. Without such a logistics support system, a single missing part could halt the entire propulsion system, rendering the warship non-operational and unable to be deployed.

Especially since parts produced overseas require lengthy administrative time for import, it is essential to establish domestic supply chains and technological capabilities, along with close cooperation between the military and partner companies.

Since the construction of domestically produced combat ships over the past 40 years, the ROK Navy’s warships have seen significant advancements. Propulsion systems have also ensured operational completeness through continuous technological development. The propulsion systems installed on the SMART NAVY’s cutting-edge warships must meet these standards. I earnestly hope that the SMART Battleships of the blue-water navy will be equipped with propulsion systems that guarantee uninterrupted operational capability, high reliability, and stable logistics support.