Ship Replacement (Renewal)
Programming Thumb Rules
By Dick Pittenger (WHOI)
As we head down the road toward crafting a UNOLS modernization plan,
it might be useful to have some idea about how much it will cost to buy
and operate these craft and how long it will take. Here are some data points
for your information.
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO BUY?
Global ships
$60M
Ex: REVELLE, ATLANTIS
$52M (FY'92 $'s)
Oceans-Class - High Seas
$54M AGOR-26
Oceans-Class - Ice Capable
$60M (no examples)
Oceans-Class - Temperate/Monohull
$35-45M
Cape-Class - Replacement/Regional/~150-ft.
$25-30M
Local/Regional ~100-125-ft.
$7M to $15M
(depending on complexity
of design)
Ships always cost more than initial estimates.
Examples:
Estimate Actual
ATLANTIS II
$3M
$5M
OCEANUS
*____ ____
NOAA FFRV40
$45M $64M
AGOR-24/25
$38M $52
KNORR/MELVILLE Conversion
$35M $52M
AGOR-26
$45M $54M+
CONNECTICUT
*____ ____
SMITH (RSMAS)
*____ ____
BLUE FIN replacement (SkIO)
*____ ____
*Data not available
- Ten percent of construction costs should go into design (of first article);
another
ten percent should be reserved for change orders.
HOW MUCH TO OPERATE? (per year)
-
Global ship
~ $5M (lots of data available)
-
Oceans (SWATH) $3.6M
(Depends on crew size. If the crew is 16 as advertised then 16/22 x 5 =
$3.6M)
-
Oceans (ICE)
$5M (Fuel costs will drive this up - smaller crew)
-
Oceans (conventional) ~210-ft. $3.6M
-
Regional
~150-ft. $2.5M
-
Local 100-125-ft.
$1.25M
-
Manned Submersible $2.0M
-
ROVs
$2.5M
-
New-FLIP
?
THUMB RULES:
-
Annual operating cost is about 10 percent of capitalization cost.
-
Operating budget has been flat.
-
Science is 2 to 3 times ship operating cost.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?
-
Programming (time between money put into agency
2 years
budget request and the money 'turning green')
-
Contracting / Design
2 years
After money is 'green'
Large ships
3 years
(Examples: AGOR-24/25, FFRV40)
Oceans Class
2-2.5 years
KNORR/MELVILLE
-
Idea starts '83
-
Navy endorsement (Programmed)'84
-
Money green '86
-
Work begins '89
-
Back in service '92
AGOR-23
-
Idea starts '83
-
Programmed '84
-
Money green '86
-
Delivery '90
-
In service '91
AGOR-24/25
-
Idea starts '83
-
Programmed '88/'89
-
Money green '91/'92
-
In service '96/'97