We review products independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions from buying links on this page. Terms of use. The US Navy has overwhelmingly decided to scrap the use of touch screens for throttle and helm controls throughout its fleet. As USNI News reports, following an investigation of the collision between US destroyer the USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) and chemical tanker Alnic MC in August 2017, which killed 10 sailors, the Navy is shifting back to physical throttle and traditional helm controls. Touch screens are set to be ripped out and replaced with mechanical controls instead. The investigation resulted in a Comprehensive Review being released which details how the touch screen helm controls are too complex. Add to that poor training of the sailors tasked with using them and you have a recipe for disaster. What followed the review was a series of surveys carried out by the Naval Sea Systems Command, with the conclusion being the touch screens were a mistake. As Rear Adm. Bill Galinis, Program Executive Officer for Ships, explains, "We really made the helm control system, specifically on the [DDG] 51 class, just overly complex, with the touch screens under glass and all this kind of stuff ... we got away from the physical throttles, and that was probably the number-one feedback from the fleet – they said, just give us the throttles that we can use." For now, touch screens will continue to be used in active ships while the contracting process goes on for a kit replacement. The kit will introduce physical controls for the Integrated Bridge and Navigation System (IBNS) and it's expected the first installation will happen on the USS Ramage (DDG-61) in summer 2020. The first new ship to forego touch screens will be the USS Ted Stevens (DDG-128) which is currently under construction.

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