Call for Papers
Abstracts Due: April 30, 2024
The Multi-Agency Craft Conference (MACC) is an open forum for the exchange of operational and technical information on small boats and craft conducted between Government agencies, Universities, Corporations (large and small) and the entire maritime community. Technical presentations at MACC are invited based upon abstract submission. Full papers are welcome, but not required, for those selected to present based on abstract.
MACC 2024 will be offering 3 technical tracks
- Boats and Craft
- Launch and Recovery
- Student Design Experiences
Since its founding in 1998, the Multi-Agency Craft Conference (MACC) has served as a primary venue for leveraging knowledge and lessons-learned across multiple Government agencies that develop, procure, or operate small boats and craft. Information on new technologies and new product offerings as well as information on Army and Navy service craft, Navy and Coast Guard patrol boats, Navy and USMC expeditionary craft, and Naval Special Warfare craft are highlighted in chaired technical presentations, vendor and agency displays, and in-water demonstrations. In 2018, the Launch and Recovery Symposium (originally founded in 2005) was encompassed within MACC to provide an opportunity for academics, industry, and government to engage in high level discussion about platforms and launch and recovery systems all under one unified event tent. The Promoting Electric Propulsion competition had been held in conjunction with MACC between 2018-2023. While the PEP competition will be separate from MACC for 2024, in recognition of the importance of student participation in ASNE symposia, we continue to feature a presentation third track for students to highlight their design experiences in PEP or with other applicable projects. Further details on the specific tracks are as follows:
MACC 2024’s Boats and Craft track will continue to explore the latest technology in small craft design, acquisition, and operations. Suggested presentation topics for the Boats and Craft track include:
- Small Craft Design
- Hull form, seakeeping, powering
- Structures and materials
- Human System Integration
- Autonomous systems
- Advances in small craft propulsion
- C5ISR
- Design for safety
- Acquisition
- Requirements generation
- Acquisition processes
- Classification society guidance related to small craft
- Classification society guidance related to autonomous systems
- Risk and cost management
- Operations
- Total ownership costs, logistics, warranties
- Post-pandemic supply chain impacts on operations
- Configuration control and part commonality
- Mission requirements
- Operational safety
- Managing hybrid crewed/uncrewed vehicle operations
For the MACC 2024 Launch and Recovery track, we encourage new and returning participants to present their operational experience, technological developments and current research. In addition, papers related to new concepts or processes intended to improve mission effectiveness, improve safety, reduce total ownership costs and meet new or existing regulations are encouraged. These submissions are welcome from all segments of the international marine community including but not limited to governmental naval, coast guard, environmental and natural resource management agencies; commercial shipping, construction and salvage operators; the offshore energy industry; and designers and manufacturers who support these segments. Suggested presentation topics for the Launch and Recovery track include:
- Vessel design for launch and recovery
- Coupled ship-aircraft air wake modeling, simulation, or experimental data
- Ship design guidance for ship-aircraft aerodynamic interface
- Operational performance considerations and lessons learned
- Safety advantages and disadvantages of crewed versus remote operated versus autonomous vehicles in launch and recovery
- Impact of crew size on launch and recovery operations, safety, human systems integration and training
- Innovative system designs to improve launch and recovery capabilities and/or reduce life-cycle cost
- Operational risks and mitigation strategies
- Modeling and simulation for launch and recovery operational analyses and training
- Certification, test and evaluation
- Special requirements by industry area i.e. Navy and Coast Guard, offshore energy, shipping, construction and salvage, environmental and natural resource management
- Launch and recovery in high sea states and other adverse conditions
- Future research and development requirements
- Overcoming obsolescence efficiently and effectively
Student authors are welcome to submit to any of the tracks for this symposium, though the MACC Student Design Experiences track provides students a dedicated platform to showcase their small craft, uncrewed, and/or autonomous vessel designs. Faculty and/or industry mentors may be co-authors on papers submitted to this track, but should not be the primary author for papers in this track. Suggested presentation topics for the Student Design Experiences track include:
- Promoting Electric Propulsion (PEP) design/build activities
- Senior design projects related to boats and craft, uncrewed or autonomous vessels, or launch and recovery systems.
- Academic club or team projects related to small craft design and/or construction.
Abstract Submission Details
- Abstracts Due: April 30, 2024
Representatives from civilian government and military research, acquisition, and operational communities, as well as representatives from industry and academia are encouraged to submit abstracts on recent developments or work-in-progress by clicking here. The submission form requires the following information:
- Title
- Author Name(s)
- Contact E-mail
- Track (Boats and Craft, Launch and Recovery, Student Design Experiences)
- Abstract
For additional information and details on paper submission, see the ASNE Technical Papers Guidelines
All additional questions should be directed to MACC@navalengineers.org