4 Critical Design Challenges for Next-Generation Naval Equipment
National navies use equipment ranging from ships and helicopters to munitions and all-terrain ground vehicles. Professionals who create these essential defense products must overcome numerous challenges associated with the defense industry, societal shifts or specific projects. Here are some of the biggest obstacles.
Supply Chain Shortages
Naval designers require specialty supplies and well-qualified workers to complete projects on time and to specifications. As those necessities become harder to source, affected parties must become creative to meet expectations.
During an April 2025 hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee’s seapower subcommittee, United States Navy representatives discussed an aim to build several submarines yearly and the current difficulties preventing them from meeting the goal. The representatives mentioned that the industrial base building those platforms needs a strategic boost. Part of their effort concerns launching almost 12,000 tailored programs in 40 states. The initiatives will improve advanced manufacturing, supplier relationships and workforce expansion efforts, with some modernizing outdated processes.
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Stronger supply chains enable success by letting designers bring their ideas to life. Even the most forward-thinking possibilities cannot improve naval forces if innovators lack the components to produce them.
These material shortages may also encourage professionals to think differently, considering whether they can fabricate pieces with 3D printing instead of sourcing via the usual channels. The option increases convenience and uptime for currently used ships that urgently require replacements after breakdowns. Design teams commonly use it for prototyping, especially when creating complex parts that are impossible to make using conventional techniques.
Cost-Cutting Proposals
Designers and others involved throughout a ship’s life cycle must adhere to the U.S. Navy’s survivability policy and standards. They uphold the entity’s mission to have combat-ready forces sent on reliable ships that remain resilient despite challenges. Affected parties address several key performance indicators, ensuring the vessels can avoid or defeat attacks, withstand damage from successful attempts and recover by restoring their original capabilities.
Numerous professionals collaborate to meet these ship survivability requirements and determine the required maintenance to keep vessels seaworthy. They also consider the high- and low-tech threats the ships may encounter, strategizing to reduce risks.
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Naval authorities face increasing pressures to manage costs while meeting overarching goals. Marine Corps officials have proposed procuring smaller and less robust possibilities and reducing the number of capital amphibious surface vessels. The Navy previously changed its acquisition methods for littoral combat ships, designing and building modestly sized, faster options with a lower survivability potential. Leaders eventually opted to create them according to the lowest combatant standard. Those requirements included accepting the risk of crew member abandonment because of a low likelihood of survival if staying on board.
Although authorities determined commercial-grade ships cannot offer the survivability capabilities to keep occupants safe, some still advocate for contracts that might permit such standards for littoral combat vessels. These competing forces put designers in difficult positions, especially if they must follow orders to lower costs, but assessments indicate that those stipulations will risk lives.
Test Readiness
Military standard testing contains comprehensive requirements for a product’s functionality and quality. MIL-STD-167 covers servers and workstation components for use in shipboards. These tests determine whether parts keep performing as expected despite real-world hazards. They assess an item’s suitability when subjected to two types of vibrations. Examinations associated with the first kind mimic the shaking found on naval ships, while those in the other group check rotating machinery, but not noise or reciprocating equipment. Testing both environmental vibration and externally excited vibration helps determine if equipment on board will withstand operating conditions.
Solutions such as digital twins and computer-aided design tools help professionals develop the most capable naval equipment, increasing the chances of it passing tests and meeting all other requirements. Many products work in the cloud and let authorized users suggest changes regardless of location. The ability to test specific options in virtual, controlled environments before creating physical versions makes costs more manageable, supports troubleshooting and encourages productive workflows.
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Simulators also prevent unintended consequences, such as when one analysis revealed engine heat from military aircraft could cause deck warping or melting on the Navy’s amphibious assault ships. These jets take off and land vertically, allowing them to launch directly from the vessels. Tests showed the intense warmth generated during that activity causes structural concerns and requires preventive maintenance. Design team members investigated targeted options, including thermal-resistant materials or systems to disperse the hot temperatures and limit their effects.
Navy officials also believe they could shorten the timeframes to certify the aircraft as flight-ready by using advanced piloted simulation techniques and historical data for similar ship classes. Because designers contribute so many hours and extensive expertise before testing, these professionals can streamline workflows with specialized software during individual phases. Optimizing the results requires learning about tool functionality and productivity potential before applying these resources to real-life projects.
Ease of Maintenance and Repairability
Those designing next-generation naval equipment should consider its overall longevity and how user-friendly repair possibilities maximize it. The U.S. Navy completed 67% of its fleet’s maintenance in 2024. That result exceeded the 35% metric for the previous year but still reveals room for improvement. The organization aims to have 33% of its ships either receiving maintenance, completing training exercises or ready for deployment at any time. However, persistent backlogs pose challenges.
Although affected parties should not expect immediate or universally applicable solutions, designers can lead the way in suggesting or implementing improvements. Some efforts also involve stocking ships with the most commonly required parts and training sailors to install them when needed. Prioritizing user-friendliness enhances outcomes, even for those with relatively little experience handling spontaneous fixes.
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Educating future generations of design professionals and maintenance technicians also matters because it helps interested people see how they could address challenges. More than 20 high school interns participating in a 2025 summer program glimpsed the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Ocean operations and how engineers support them.
Over six weeks, curious learners saw innovations such as dry-dock cooling systems for submarines and accompanied engineers solving frequent issues, including electrical repairs. Besides highlighting potential career opportunities, this experience emphasizes the numerous actions taken to keep naval equipment performing well. Designers whose decisions make things easier for maintenance and repair technicians cause far-reaching benefits across fleets.
Applying Creativity to Tackle New and Established Design Challenges
Professionals encountering naval equipment design obstacles can often address them by developing lesser-used solutions, tweaking existing processes and collaborating with peers and industry partners. Multiple perspectives encourage parties to think beyond frequent practices and remain hopeful they can solve most difficulties by demonstrating thoughtfulness, dedication and technological expertise.
