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NOAA'S OCEAN FLEET
MODERNIZATION STUDY
Highlights of Phases
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
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1 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Office of the Chief Scientist
NOAA OCEAN FLEET: YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW
NOAA was created in 1970 through a Presidential reorganization, but the survey activities of the fleet ofone of its
predecessor agencies, the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, became well established in the nineteenth century.
Sketched from a photo is perhaps the best-known survey vessel of its time, the PATTERSON, built by James D.
Leary at Brooklyn, NY, in 1883. It was a wood auxiliary barkentine, 435 tons, 163 feet long, with a 27 foot beam,
and a draft of 14 feet. Much of its survey work was done in Alaskan waters.
Commissioned in April 1960, the SURVEYOR, here depicted in a drawing, is a part ofNOAA's current ocean fleet.
The ship has a welded steel/ice-strengthened hull and is 2,653 gross tons, 292 feet long, with a 46-foot breadth and
a draft of 19.5 feet. It was built by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company of San Diego, CA. The
SURVEYOR conducts worldwide oceanographic research but is nearing the end of its useful service life (see p.2).
A modernized NOAA fleet might employ ship designs such as the one shown for the JAMES CLARK ROSS which
will soon join the fleet ofthe British Antarctica Survey. This ship is ice-strengthened. It is being built at the Swan
Hunter Shipyard at Newcastle, England, and was scheduled to be commissioned this year.
(Photo ofthe PATTERSON and drawing ofthe SURVEYOR courtesy ofNOAA/Office ofNOAA Corps Operations.
Sketch of the JAMES CLARK ROSS courtesy of British Antarctica Survey and Swan Hunter Shipyard.)
NOAA'S OCEAN FLEET ..10*™°**,,.
MODERNIZATION STUDY
Phases
Highlights of l-lll
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April 1991
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
U.S.
Robert A. Mosbacher, Secretary
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
John A. Knauss, Under Secretary
Office of the Chief Scientist
Sylvia A. Earle, Chief Scientist
THIS ASSESSMENT STUDY PROVIDES A SERIES OF OPTIONS FOR
MODERNIZING NOAA'S FLEET. THE STUDY DOES NOT INCLUDE A
COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THESE VARIOUS OPTIONS AND
ALTERNATIVES, AND THE RELATED MAINTENANCE, OPERATING
AND LIFE-CYCLE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH FLEET MODERNIZATION.
STATEMENTS INCLUDED IN THIS DOCUMENT ARE NOT TO BE
CONSTRUED IN ANY MANNER AS POLICY-RELATED DECISIONS.
This publication does not constitute an endorsement ofany commercial product or intend to be an opinion beyond
scientific or other results obtained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or the
Department ofCommerce (DOC). No reference shall be made to NOAA or DOC, or this publication furnished by
NOAA, in any advertising or sales promotion which would indicate that NOAA or DOC recommends or endorses
any proprietary product mentioned herein, or which has as its purpose an interest to cause directly or indirectly the
advertised product to be used or purchased because of this publication.
A Message From The Under Secretary
For Oceans and Atmosphere
and Administrator
Under Secretary of Commerce
The advanced age oftheNOA4fleet and itsgrowingfunctional
obsolescence are widely recognized both within and outside
NOA4. A 1988 study of the Marine Board of the National
Academy of Sciences drew attention to the need for a
modernized fleet capable of supporting a diverse array of
complex scientific missions.
To determine the shape and size ofthe next-generation fleet,
we in NOA4 initiated an assessment ofmission requirements
for the fleet into the next century and the existing fleet's
capability to meet these requirements. This assessment, which
started in early 1990, was conducted in three phases. Vie
findings have already been published (Phase I, September
1990; Phase 11, October 1990; and Phase 111, October 1990).
This "Highlights" document provides a synopsis of the three
volumes. It covers the background ofthe study, methodology,
implementation, significant findings, and conclusions and
recommendations ofthe study groups.
I hope this document will provide a briefand useful overview
offleet modernization to all those interested in NOA4's ocean
missions and itsfuturefleet to support these missions.
John A. Knauss
"RESEARCH AND SURVEY VESSELS ARE
ESSENTIAL FOR NOAA'S MARINE AND
ATMOSPHERIC
MISSIONS."
Digitized by the Internet Archive
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http://archive.org/details/noaasoceanfleetmOOunit
Highlights of Phases I - ///
NOAA
Priorities...and Problems capability of the vessels. Since 1970
has commissioned only one new ship. The
NOAA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric average age of the ships of the fleet is
Administration (NOAA), as the Nation's "earth 25 years (Figure 1) with 30 years being the
systems agency," has expanding life expectancy of a vessel which has
responsibilities for a variety of oceanographic benefitted from a major midlife rehabilitation.
NOAA
and atmospheric research, assessment ofliving Of the twenty-three ships, only six
marine resources, nautical charting, and have had even a partial midlife rehabilitation.
mapping. Since its formation in 1970 through For the other ships, the midlife rehabilitation
a Presidential Reorganization Order, NOAA's has been deferred due to budget constraints or
legislatively mandated responsibilities have proposed replacement. For those ships which
increased the scope and complexity of its have undergone some rehabilitation, the work
missions. At a time when the Nation's focus has not been comparable to the service-life
is increasingly drawn to such issues as climate extension practiced by the University National
change and marine environmental quality these Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS)
responsibilities carry with them a high sense fleet and certain foreign countries, where the
of priority. ship is totally gutted and refitted with new
machinery and facilities.
Yet one of NOAA's major tools by which it
discharges these responsibilities is in decline, Since 1971 the total capital investment made
NOAA
thereby imperiling the conduct of its missions. by in vessel construction and refit has
NOAA
The age of the fleet and, in some been under $3 million. Indeed, funding for
NOAA
cases, its functional obsolescence have been capital improvements in the fleet has
major factors in the declining mission undergone a serious decline relative to other
—
Highlights
YEAR DELIVERED
1990 1980 1970 1965 1960 1950 1943
I
AGE OF THE NOAA FLEET
MEANOGRAPHtR
MFREEMAN DISCOVERER
FAIRWEATHER McARTHUR TCROMWELL
DELAWARE RAINIER DAVIDSON RUDE
T T T
BALDRIGE MITCHELL FERREL OREGONII DSJORDAN riNGALBrATROSS-I-SURVEYOR n r
I I I
10 20 21 22 23 24 25 ,'h 27 28 29 30 40 45
YEARS SINCE DELIVERY
Figure 1. Age ofthe NOAA fleet. Silhouettes ofnamed vessels are plotted atyear ofconstruction. The average age ofthe
fleet is shown to be approximately 25years. Note that the time scales have been distorted to clarify the data.
organizations conducting oceanographic or delays inherent in old machinery regardless
research. (Figure 2). of how well it is maintained. As the ships
age, replacement parts are more difficult to
Increasing Age. and Declining Mission obtain thus making repairs more costly and
Capability The age of the vessels affects the repair periods longer. Also of concern is the
.
NOAA
research mission of in a number of expense involved in operating these older
ways. The most obvious of these is the vessels due to increased maintenance and the
number of days at sea (DAS) the fleet can added manpower costs relative to modern
achieve. Currently less than 3600 days at sea vessels which employ labor-saving
(DAS) per year are provided by the NOAA technology.
fleet to support NOAA's missions.
present level ofDAS support is only 84% of The mission capability of the NOAA vessels
the average annual number of DAS provided in many regards is of more serious concern
This level of support than the age of the ships. The ships were
is in large part a function of funding. If, built with the technology of the 1960's and to
however, funding were available, the material satisfy very specific oceanographic objectives.
NOAA
condition of the current fleet would limit the The principal missions at the time
available DAS to a less-than-desirable level. were geological and physical oceanographic
Another problem caused by the age of vessels research, launch hydrography, and trawling to
is the annoyance of unscheduled breakdowns determine stock assessment. During the past
Highlights
methodologies are also expected
in future years. Research
specifically addressing
environmental issues was not
undertaken in NOAA's early
years; today it has become a
strong component of the overall
research effort. These new
thrusts place a strain on NOAA's
aging fleet.
Development ofa Study Plan
NOAA
The need for a fleet with
more sophisticated research
1961-65 1986-90
platforms is now widely
PERIOD
recognized both within and
Figure 2. Comparison ofcapitalinvestments in ships among NOAA, theNavy, outside the organization. For
and the National Science Foundation (NSF) since I960. Figures for 1961 example, in a recent study, the
through 1970 arefor NOAA's predecessor organizations.
Marine Board of the National
two to three decades major advances have Academy of Sciences (1988) recommended
been made in areas of technology and mission that: "NOAA should commission ... a study
protocol. One major difference is scale. to define the characteristics of an idealized
Thirty years ago descriptive investigations fleet to meet present and projected ship
were still being conducted to obtain a services needs. The results of this study
localized understanding of phenomena. should serve as the basis for the modernization
NOAA
Today, the research is directed toward of the Fleet..." In partial response to
understandingthose processes driving regional this stated requirement and a similar
or global phenomena, such as climate change perception on the part of NOAA, such a study
and long-term changes in fish stocks. was initiated. The study reflects our efforts to
Understanding these processes involves determine NOAA's mission needs into the next
deciphering local events, frequently achieved century in the areas of oceanographic,
though experimental studies and long-term charting/mapping, and fishery research, and to
monitoring activities, and relating these to specify how these mission needs translate to
NOAA
large-scale phenomena. Furthermore, this the next generation of ships.
research involves multidisciplinary
investigations using sophisticated analytical The goals of the fleet modernization study
techniques unknown 20 to 30 years ago. In plan were to:
the same manner NOAA's charting and
mapping efforts have shifted toward more articulate the ocean mission of NOAA in
efficient tools and methods. Only the charting/mapping, living marine resource
traditional methods of fishery stock stock assessment, and oceanographic
assessment, e.g., trawling, have remained research into the next century
relatively constant over the years. However,
with advances in various optical and acoustic determine the character and size of
remote-sensing technologies, changes in these charting/mapping, stock assessment, and
Highlights
oceanographic research vessels to form a type of ship specifications are needed to
fleet to respond to NOAA's ocean mission satisfy these requirements and to develop a
requirements series of fleet management recommendations;
and, finally, to compare projected vessel needs
anticipate future technology and its to the existing fleet. Figure 3 outlines this
application to NOAA's mission process. This three-phase process was chosen
to be developed in a serial rather than a
develop a technical framework to decide parallel sequence. Each part, or phase, was
an orderly replacement and/or upgrade of designed to be independent of the others but
theexisting fleet consideringboth material using data obtained in previous phases. An
condition and functional capability accelerated timeframe was developed in order
NOAA
to meet both a budget submission
determine cost estimates for fleet deadline and to ensure that the findings of the
modernization associated with various first part of the process were still valid at the
mission requirement levels conclusion of the study.
PHASE
provide a technical data base for preparing I
a fleet modernization plan that will be
defensible in the federal funding process Implementation ofPhase J
To determine the character of NOAA's next NOAA's ocean missions require a diverse
generation of oceanographic vessels two array of research activities which can be
considerations were most important. First, the viewed as a continuum with charting and
users, rather than managers, must determine living-marine-resource stock assessments as
the mission requirements for the ships; and two end members, each with unique
second, the assessment must focus on NOAA's requirements. Bridging the continuum,
future. To assure that such a study was not without clear boundaries, is oceanographic
biased by existing resources, the approach was research. The broad spectrum of oceanic
NOAA
to delay any comparison to the present research encompasses all aspects of marine
fleet until quite late in the process. To do so science as they relate to understanding the
a method was chosen to identify, first, the oceans as part of the earth system. For the
mission requirements; second, to define what two end members, the organizational structure
PHASE
I
IdentifyNOAA'sOceanMissionandAssociated
FLEETREQUIREMENTS PHASE
II
UserInitiatedandDriven DetermineHullCharacteristics,
Cross-LineOffices Instrumentation&NumbertoMeet
Cross-Disciplines REQUIREMENTS
Cross-Programs Cross-CutBetween
OperatorsandUsers
Fishery
Research
Figure 3. A threefoldprocess was usedfor the assessment. A serial, rather than aparallel sequence was adopted.
