Boat bay doors and RCS Screen Hull Closures

Modern warships are more and more a challenging task to our design department. Speed, survivability, low initial cost and reduced maintanance are just a few of the clashing factors to cope with during ship construction. Emerging requirements like reduced IR and radar signature, shock robustness and increased fire protection ask for innovative materials and smarter solutions.

Ship detection, and specifically ship detection by radar waves, is an actual concern of most Navies. Many efforts in design of new naval vessels are devoted to reduce radar signature and to minimize detectability. Low signature increases survivability and self-defence effectiveness.

With MEP components effective radar reflection management is possible. By controlling scattered emission, just a fraction of it shall revert to the seeker: Whenever openings, recesses and radar hotspots are needed onboard, you shall find an appropriate RCS MEP solution, a tested design, a smarter solution.

CHARACTERISTICS:

Ship owner: Italian Navy

Ship Builder: Fincantieri S.p.a

Ship name: FREMM Frigate Bergamini Class

 

The Boat bay door model DOOR/CM/12,5X4,8 is a Radar Cross Section closure to cloackthe Boat Bay from Radar.

The Door is realised with longitudinal panels fabricated with composite materials with RCSR characteristics.

The Door is opened or closed by two wire ropes, one for each side, operated by the winding mechanism.

The Door movements is made by a closed looping of the wire ropes obtained with a set of sheaves.

One emergency driving system is provided to operate the Door in the event of failure of the primary operating system.

The Door is provided with an operating control located on the operator’s control console for the  boat crane.

CHARACTERISTICS:

Ship owner: UK Royal Navy

Ship Builder: Bae Systems Surface Ships Limited

Ship name: Type 45 Destroyer

The Ship is designed to have no major permanent openings in the hull; these openings are closed using RCS Screens, thus protecting the vessel from the external marine environment with a minimal effect on the ship’s radar cross section.

Provide shelter to the Fwd and Aft Shell Openings from the external marine environment by being a weather resistant door. Provide a cloak to shield the contents of the Fwd and Aft Shell Openings from radar transmissions and minimise the ship’s Radar Cross Section (RCS).