Personnel and equipment design concept for a maritime patrol airship (non-rigid) to conduct search, anti-submarine warfare, and airborne mine counter-measures missions.

Abstract

A personnel and equipment design concept for a non-rigid, 100 hour endurance, Maritime Patrol Airship meeting Search and Rescue (SAR), Anti- Submarine Warfare (ASW), and Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) requirements was developed. The Maritime Patrol Airship could readily be equipped with off- the-shelf equipment. Minimal new design equipment requirements were identified. A baseline flight scenario and on station scenarios for: SAR, transoceanic ASW utilizing a passive towed array sonar, and AMCM were developed. Human factors task analyses and a time line analysis were constructed from the scenarios. Manning reductions resulted for each scenario (3 crewmembers for SAR, 10 crewmembers for transoceanic ASW, 7 crewmembers for AMCM). Further research areas are identified.