While shipbuilders in the Asia-Pacific region are today dominant in the volume production of mercantile hulls, it should be understood that there are substantial differences between the design and construction of commercial ships and naval vessels. These differences are most marked in the case of 'complex' warships, such as corvettes, frigates, destroyers, and, above all, submarines. There are many reasons for this, but most fundamental is that building complex warships is about much more than just steelwork and its assembly. A modern fighting ship is a densely packed 'system of systems' that must balance and integrate float, move, and fight functions. That typically demands the provision of relatively large, power-dense, machinery for propulsion and ship's power generation; the integration of advanced weapons, sensors, and command systems and their attendant networks and services; accommodation for (in comparison to a merchant ship) a relatively large crew; and a platform incorporating specialist features in terms of signatures and survivability.
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