Modularity: Facilitator for Commercial Shipyards in Naval Shipbuilding

Modularity in the design and construction of naval vessels is considered wherein functional naval system module installations that provide basic ship structure and ship interfaces are permanently integrated in an otherwise conventional ship envelope during construction. Consideration is given to a paradigm shift consisting of a ship envelope constructed by a primarily commercial shipbuilder, which is then transferred to a naval shipyard integrator for completion, including insertion of those modules which are purely naval mission-oriented. In the context of such consideration, the competitive practices of international commercial shipbuilders, particularly related to large passenger ships, suggest a potential application to naval vessels.