Press Release 164 10 Dec.

NATO and Partnership for Peace Nations Plan Cooperative Ship Design Simulation Today in Stockholm within the framework of NATO's Partnership for Peace, a group of NATO and Partner nations formally launched an ambitious cooperative project, given the name NIREUS, which could revolutionize the way that naval vessels are designed and acquired in the future. The project group comprises NATO nations Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom and United States, plus Partners Bulgaria, Finland and Sweden. Australia also participates under a special arrangement. Under the auspices of the NATO Conference of National Armaments Directors and its Naval Armaments Group, the project team has been evaluating how simulation and virtual prototyping technology can be applied to ship design. The objective is to conceive, design, test, improve and ultimately operate a ship in a three-dimensional computer-simulated environment, well before the first steel is cut for the hull. This innovative approach could significantly improve ship performance, at the same time as saving considerable amounts of time and money. Within this overall approach, the main aim of NIREUS is to demonstrate and test the effectiveness of the emerging simulation and prototyping technology becoming available in both NATO and Partner nations. To this end, the NIREUS project will simulate and model just one aspect of ship design, the interaction between a vertical take-off and landing air vehicle, like a helicopter, and the moving flight deck of a ship under various conditions of weather and sea state. It should be possible to extend this simulation concept to virtually all other aspects of ship design. NATO authorities consider this project to be a leading example of how NATO and Partner nations are contributing and working together for mutual benefit. For further information, the NATO point of contact is: Mr. Richard Archer, NATO Headquarters Tel: (32) (2) 707-4176 - Fax: (32) (2) 707-4103 - Email: naval.arm@hq.nato.int On technical issues, contact the Chairman of the NATO/Partner project team: Dr. John Duncan, Defence Procurement Agency Ministry of Defence, United Kingdom Tel: (44) (117) 91 35163 - Fax: (44) (117) 91 35943 Email: fp512@udawn.dpa.mod.uk

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