Aircraft Carrier Flight and Hangar Deck Fire Protection ...

NAWCWD TP 8516

Aircraft Carrier Flight and Hangar Deck Fire Protection:

History and Current Status

by Robert L. Darwin Hughes Associates, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland Howard L. Bowman Research Department Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, California

Mary Hunstad Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C.

William B. Leach Naval Air Systems Command, Lakehurst, New Jersey

and Frederick W. Williams Naval Research Laboratory Navy Technology Center for Safety and Survivability, Washington D.C.

JANUARY 2005

NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER WEAPONS DIVISION CHINA LAKE, CA 93555-6100

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER WEAPONS DIVISION

FOREWORD

This report documents a briefing on aircraft carrier fire protection. The stated goal of the briefing was to provide an historical frame of reference for assessing flight and hangar deck fireprotection features and firefighting capability as part of the Live Fire Test and Evaluation (LFT&E) analysis process for the proposed CVNX future carrier. The work is being funded by the Department of Defense Office of LFT&E through the CVNX Program Office (PMS-378).

This report was reviewed for technical accuracy by Vince Homer.

Approved by T. ATIENZAMOORE, Head Research Department 20 January 2005

Released for publication by K. L. HIGGINS Director for Research and Engineering

Under authority of W. M. SKINNER RDML (Sel), U.S. Navy

NAWCWD Technical Publication 8516

Published by....................................................................................Technical Information Division Collation..................................................................................................................Cover, 50 leaves First printing....................................................................................................................... 25 copies

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January 2005

Final Report, 2002

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

5. FUNDING NUMBERS

Aircraft Carrier Flight and Hangar Deck Fire Protection: History and

Current Status (U)

6. AUTHOR(S)

Robert L. Darwin (Hughes Assoc.); Howard L. Bowman (NAWCWD,

China Lake); Mary Hunstad (NAVSEA), William B. Leach (NAVAIR,

Lakehurst); and Frederick W. Williams (NRL, Wash., DC)

7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)

8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER

Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division

NAWCWD TP 8516

China Lake, CA 93555-6100

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11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

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Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

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13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words)

(U) This report covers the history and current status of fire protection on aircraft carrier flight decks and hangar decks. Fire protection on aircraft carriers is a joint responsibility of the Naval Sea Systems Command and the Naval Air Systems Command. The report begins with a quick orientation covering some of the significant physical characteristics of aircraft carriers that are relevant to fire protection. The fire hazardous nature of carrier operations is discussed specifically, with focus on some of the concerns relative to air launched ordnance. Next, a review of firefighting systems, including the firefighting agents currently in use, as well as the current tactics for fighting fires on the flight deck and the hangar deck, is provided. We review the history of carrier fires and emphasize some of the lessons learned, including the research and development programs that resulted from those fires. Some recent program initiatives under NAVAIR project W1819 are covered. Finally, the report covers a list of some current shortcomings and future concerns.

14. SUBJECT TERMS

aircraft carrier fire protection firefighting agents

carrier fires

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UNCLASSIFIED

NSN 7540-01-280-5500

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97

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NAWCWD TP 8516

CONTENTS Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 3 Background ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Current and Future Carriers ............................................................................................................ 5 Carrier Orientation .......................................................................................................................... 7 Hazardous Environment................................................................................................................ 21 Ordnance Considerations .............................................................................................................. 22 Fuel and Miscellaneous Hazards ...................................................................................................35

Types of Fires.........................................................................................................................40 Firefighting Agents.................................................................................................................41 Firefighting Systems and Equipment .....................................................................................43 Firefighting Procedures and Tactics ..............................................................................................68 History of Fires ..............................................................................................................................72 Lessons Learned and Relevant Research.......................................................................................91 Current Shortcomings and Future Concerns..................................................................................94 References......................................................................................................................................97

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