US Navy stops some touchscreens on destroyers after collision

The US Navy is going to modify its destroyers equipped with touch screens to control systems. They get physical gas trades and conventional control panels again. That decision follows a fatal accident between a fighter and an oil tanker.

A Naval Sea Systems Command spokesperson told USNI News that the US Navy will place physical gas trades on all Arleigh Burke-class destroyers equipped with the Integrated Bridge and Navigation System. That is the name for the control panel with several touchscreens placed next to each other. The replacement is planned for the summer of 2020.

This move stems from a now completed investigation into a collision between two ships in 2017. In August of that year, the destroyer USS John S. McCain collided with the Alnic MC, an oil tanker from Liberia. According to the National Transportation Safety Board report, 10 U.S. crew members were killed and another 48 were injured. No injuries were reported on the oil tanker. The collision took place in the Strait of Singapore, a strait 105 km long and 16 km wide. The American ship was in the process of overtaking the oil tanker, after which a loss of control was experienced. During the recovery process, the ship was accidentally maneuvered into the path of the oil tanker.

In addition to a lack of naval oversight, resulting in inadequate training and inadequate procedures on the bridge, the finger of blame was also pointed at the ship’s control console. During the accident, the controls were placed in a manual backup mode, disabling computer assistance and allowing a more direct form of communication between the steering wheel and the control console. According to the research council, this had an unintended effect: steering was transferred to another control station. Moreover, the procedure was quite complex.

The report states that crews generally prefer mechanical levers to touch screens as they experience a more direct form of feedback. The Naval Sea Systems Command also determined that the control panel was made too complex, including the touchscreens under glass.

The replaceable control panel with two touch-sensitive screens.