DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS
2000 NAVY PENTAGON
WASHINGTON, DC 20350-2000
OPNAVINST 9072.2A
N96
19 FEB 2013
OPNAV INSTRUCTION 9072.2A
From: Chief of Naval Operations
Subj: SHOCK HARDENING OF SURFACE SHIPS
Ref: (a) MIL-S-901 (NOTAL)
(b) NAVSEA 0908-LP-000-3010 of September 1995 (NOTAL)
(c) OPNAVINST 9070.1A
Encl: (1) Ship Shock Hardening Criteria
(2) Validation of the Class Integrated Ship System Shock
Hardness
(3) Ship Shock Certification Letter Process
1. Purpose. To establish policy and assign responsibility for
shock hardening of Navy surface ships to include aircraft
carriers referred to, hereafter, as “ships” unless otherwise
specifically identified.
2. Cancellation. OPNAVINST 9072.2.
3. Background
a. Loss of capability of Navy ships to perform assigned
missions as a result of exposure to underwater explosion shock
is a significant risk while operating in a combat environment.
Shipboard equipment survivability can be compromised by non-
contact underwater explosions, such as influence mines,
missiles, torpedoes, near miss anti-ship cruise missiles,
improvised explosive devices, underwater nuclear explosions, as
well as other extreme loading events. Experience from combat
operations and realistic testing of operational ships has shown
that shock hardness of primary hull structure and personnel are
inherently more robust than ships’ equipment. Therefore, shock
hardening of Navy ships’ systems and subsystems is required to a
level balanced with primary hull structure and personnel
survivability.
