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ABS has developed Rules and Guides specifically for naval ships, based on their unique design, structure and purpose. They are applicable to ships owned and operated by Governments for non-commercial purposes on missions related to safety, security and defense.
ABS develops Rules and Guides, as well as incorporates new technologies in a continuous improvement cycle, serving the industry’s needs. These Rules and Guides are used by ABS to provide a ship class design review and to also provide recommendations on selecting the most appropriate Rules, standards, notations, and specifications. ABS Rules and Guides for Naval Ships are:
While not unique to government application, ABS Rules for Building and Classing Steel Vessels (SVR) and Under 90 Meter Rules can be applied to some government support vessels.
The ABS Guide for Building and Classing International Naval Ships (INSG) is applicable to non-nuclear displacement type monohull surface ships. It addresses hull, mechanical and electrical systems specifically adapted to combatant and noncombatant vessel requirements in areas such as:
The INSG allows flexibility in tailoring the requirements as needed, typically to become a part of a comprehensive certification matrix, for combination with portions of other Rules, to be used in conjunction with Naval Administration standards, or to accommodate project support as part of the acquisition process, which in many cases is very complex. In addition, Statement of Compliance reviews/surveys are offered as thirdparty certification by ABS to criteria other than the Rules (e.g., builder’s specifications).
HSNC recognizes military use and specific design features while maintaining a basis in commercial design standards. It was developed using ABS Rules for Building and Classing High-Speed Craft (HSC), SVR, and IMO International Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft (HSC Code).
HSNC combines various requirements and standards into a single, better source reference and includes the following:
HSNC was developed as a collaborative partnership between the U.S. Navy and ABS. In the interest of keeping design and construction rules for naval craft current, HSNC was last updated in February 2017. High-speed craft are defined as V ≥ 2.36 L0.5 where V is the vessel speed in knots and L is the vessel length in meters. Requirements have been specifically developed for highspeed vessels (i.e. light structures), which are often constructed of steel, aluminum or composites. Typical high-speed vessels include:
Craft Type | Applicable Lengths |
Mono-hull | <130 m(427 ft) |
Multi-hull | <100 m(328 ft) |
Surface Effects Ships (SES) | <90 m(295 ft) |
Hydrofoil | <60 m(197 ft) |