Dr Underage of DDS Research today unveiled a key technology of the future of the DDS. Zero Maintenance Operations or ZMO is basically collecting together key systems on a warship into one self-repairing and regulating unit. ZMO will allow for small crews and unmanned operations. The Panther's engine and reactor units will both be ZMO meaning that the ship will not have an "engine room" as in the current practice. The ship's power and propulsion systems will be monitored from a console that can be located anywhere on the ship (or even off the ship).
ZMO builds on the work already done by the DDS for their Open Architecture 2.0 technology allowing for the faster updating and repair of DDS systems and also cutting down the manpower required. Theoretically a Panther's engine will be replaceable by simply lifting the old unit out and inserting the new one (and connecting the power line). Not the extensive work that has to be done on existing classes of ship.
